Sidney Crosby heaps praise on Macklin Celebrini after Team Canada Olympics debut

Macklin Celebrini announced himself on the Olympic stage by scoring Canada’s first goal of the tournament, helping power a 5–0 win over Czechia in the men’s hockey opener. The San Jose Sharks star became the youngest player on Canada’s roster and one of the youngest in the entire tournament at 19, delivering a key moment with just 5.7 seconds remaining in the first period.

Fellow Team Canada star Sidney Crosby was quick to heap praise on the NHL superstar post-game.

Sidney Crosby on Macklin Celebrini: "He’s obviously earned the right to be here. I don’t think he was a guy that was on the bubble. He played his way on to the team."

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) February 12, 2026

“He’s obviously earned the right to be here. I don’t think he was a guy that was on the bubble. He played his way on to the team,” Crosby said per a post on X by The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus.

Crosby addressed exactly what had helped Celebrini earn his place in the team.

“I think he’s an incredible player. His all-round game at his age is pretty impressive. He’s committed defensively. He competes hard, he’s got a pretty mature game for his age. He’s earned the right to be in the conversation,” he said.

The performance underlined why Celebrini made the Olympic roster in the first place, something that has been obvious during his run in the NHL thus far as well. Despite his age, he had already emerged as a major NHL contributor, producing 81 points in 55 games during his sophomore season.

After impressing Team Canada’s management and coaching staff at the previous world championship, he was invited to train with Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon during the summer.

Regardless, fans will be delighted with how the game went. Within the broader context of the game, Canada looked dominant. Jordan Binnington stopped all 26 shots he faced, while stars like McDavid, Crosby, and MacKinnon combined on a power-play goal.

However, it was Celebrini’s goal that kickstarted things. Team Canada will now take on Team Switzerland in their next preliminary round game.

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