NHL: Preseason-Utah at San Jose Sharks - Source: Imagn

The San Jose Sharks’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft, Macklin Celebrini, scored his first NHL goal against the St. Louis Blues. He scored at the 7:01 mark of the first period and left fans excited in the Shark Tank.

Celebrini made a 360 spin on defenseman Ryan Suter. His shot deflected off Matthew Kessel’s skate and went past goalie Joel Hofer. This gave the Sharks an early 1-0 lead.

The crowd cheered loudly when Celebrini scored. They chanted his name in celebration. William Eklund, who assisted on the goal, was the first to congratulate him. Celebrini scored with his first shot in the NHL, making it a special moment.

Fans quickly went to X/Twitter to share their excitement. Some compared him to other young players:

“Kid is so much better than Bedard,” one fan said.

“He’s gonna be better than Bedard calling it rn,” another fan said.

“Crazy goal for his first,” one fan added.

Big Head Hockey noted on X that after one period, Celebrini had already outscored over 1,540 players in NHL history.

“There have been 7,690 skaters who have played in the NHL. Macklin Celebrini, after 1 career period of hockey, is already ahead of 1,540 of them in career points. He has more career points than 20% of the NHL’s history.”

Here’s a look at some more reactions from fans online:

“It was ugly, but it’s a goal,” one fan said.

“Dustiest first goal ever but still so sick,” another fan said.

“FUTURE HALL OF FAMER,” one fan added.

Can Macklin Celebrini live up to the hype after NHL debut with Sharks?

Celebrini did not stop with just one goal; he also assisted on Tyler Toffoli’s first goal with the Sharks later in the period. He had an impressive junior career at Boston University, scoring 32 goals and winning the Hobey Baker Award. He had a standout season in the USHL, where he scored 46 goals and played well for Team Canada at the IIHF U-18 World Championship.

Analysts are closely watching Celebrini this season. Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis believes he can handle the pressure of being a No. 1 overall pick. Celebrini’s skill and experience seem to have set him apart from others even so early on. Fans will expect him to play on the Sharks’ top line and power play, contributing significantly to the team’s success this season.

How do you think Macklin Celebrini and the San Jose Sharks will fare this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.