Macklin Celebrini's Father Reflects on Surreal Rise from Airport Question to Olympic Stardom

Rick Celebrini received a phone call from his son Macklin as the young star waited at San Francisco International Airport for his flight to New York, where Team Canada's charter would take them to Italy for the Olympics. The Sharks sensation had a myriad of questions running through his mind.

But just mere days later, Macklin was at Canada's first practice and discovered he was skating with No. 97. The teenager went from wondering if he'd get ice time to centering a fantasy line with Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon, becoming the youngest NHLer ever named to Canada's Olympic roster.

Rick Celebrini remained sure of his son through thick and thin

The phone call from the airport captured the whirlwind nature of Macklin's rise. He wanted reassurance from his father, asking if Canada would really bring him all that way just to sit on the bench.

Rick Celebrini, the Warriors' vice president of player health and performance, assured his son he would play. But even the father couldn't have imagined what came next. The "Three Macs" line featuring McDavid, MacKinnon and Macklin became reality from the opening faceoff.

The youngest player on Canada's roster would skate alongside two generational talents, proving his inclusion wasn't ceremonial. Rick Celebrini has trained Steve Nash and Steph Curry during his decades in professional sports.

The 58-year-old former Canadian soccer player has seen championships and worked with some of the biggest names in basketball and hockey. His stoic exterior rarely cracks. But watching his son represent Canada at the Olympics? That hit differently.

"The first game, I was legit nervous," Celebrini said. "I've been more nervous than I've been in a long time watching any of the kids' sports games. And I think Mack was, well, I know Mack was really nervous as well." He was also there when his son scored Canada’s first goal against Czechia.

With that, he surpassed Jonathan Toews as the youngest Canadian NHL player to score an Olympic goal. The assist came from MacKinnon. "When he scored that goal, I think it settled us all down," Celebrini continued. "I think the whole team was nervous. But I think when he got that tip goal, it just kind of allowed us to breathe a little bit and relax."

The rise happened faster than anyone imagined. Macklin finished third in Calder Trophy voting as a rookie, then opened his second season with 23 points in 15 games. Rick Celebrini didn't think this year was realistic until Macklin's hot start made it impossible to ignore.

Now his son leads the tournament with four goals through three preliminary games, contributing meaningfully on hockey's biggest stage. Canada enters the knockout rounds as a gold medal favorite with Macklin skating alongside the game's elite, turning an airport phone call into Olympic reality.


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