Count Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard as being among those impressed with the NHL debut of San Jose Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini last week.
Celebrini, the top pick in this year’s NHL Draft, scored his first professional goal on his first shot on net — on just his third shift – and later assisted on a Tyler Toffoli goal in what became a 5-4 Sharks overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 10.
Celebrini’s goal, at the 7:01 mark of the opening period, was a fortunate one, as his spin-o-rama pass in the offensive zone – intended for William Eklund – instead went off the skate of Blues defenseman Matt Kessel and slid past goalie Joel Hofer to set off a wild celebration inside SAP Center.
“Yeah, that was crazy,” Bedard told reporters Thursday before the Blackhawks played the Sharks in their home opener at United Center. “I wasn’t even watching. I think I just got back from dinner, and I checked my phone and (saw that) he scored. So that was pretty wild. I was excited to see that for him.”
Unfortunately for the Sharks, that’s been Celebrini’s one and only NHL game so far, as he was put on injured reserve last Saturday with a lower-body issue. Celebrini, considered week-to-week, did not travel with the Sharks, and it remains unclear when he’ll be able to play again.
Celebrini’s unavailability quashed hopes of seeing him compete against Bedard in a game that would have featured the first overall draft picks from the past two years. Bedard was chosen first overall by the draft lottery-winning Blackhawks in 2023.
Bedard, too, was disappointed he wouldn’t be able to compete against Celebrini on Thursday but is hopeful that Celebrini can be back in the lineup when the Blackhawks visit San Jose on Oct. 13. The two teams also play each other at SAP Center on March 13.
“First and foremost, I want him to get healthy,” Bedard said of Celebrini. “The whole hockey world watched that first game, and he looked great. I’m pretty sure it’s not too serious, so I think we’ll go there soon, and hopefully, we can play him then.
“But it was really fun to watch him that first game, and (I’m) excited to get to play him eventually.”
Celebrini played over 17 minutes in his NHL debut as he centered the top line with Toffoli and Eklund and was part of the Sharks’ first power-play unit.
Bedard noticed Celebrini’s “speed and explosiveness, and everyone knows how skilled he is and how well he can make plays. But I feel like he was attacking really well and didn’t look out of place at all.”
Bedard knows what it’s like to miss time with an injury as a rookie, as a broken jaw in early January of last season kept him out for six weeks. Still, Bedard finished with 66 points in 72 games and won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie.
Bedard texted Celebrini after his NHL debut, adding, “I just hope he’s getting better, and I’m excited to keep watching throughout the year.”
Bedard, who has five points in four games so after Chicago began the season on the road, will start Thursday’s game centering a line with Nick Foligno and Teuvo Teräväinen on the wings.
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GAME-TIME DECISION: Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky told reporters Thursday morning that Eklund’s availability to play against the Blackhawks will not be known until shortly before game time. Eklund did not practice Wednesday, and Warsofsky later told San Jose Hockey Now that the Swedish-born forward has been bothered by an upper-body injury.
Goalie Vitek Vanecek will make his second start of the season for the Sharks. He stopped 28 of 29 shots in the Sharks’ 2-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks last Saturday.
