Rookie Sharks center Macklin Celebrini received his rating for “NHL 25,” and the 18-year-old reacted humbly, as one probably could have guessed.
Video game developer EA Sports shared a video Sunday of Celebrini and Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard seeing their ratings for the first time.
And it is safe to say San Jose fans will love to see how their franchise’s No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft responded.
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“Somewhere in the 70s,” Celebrini modestly guessed before knowing his rating. Note: Bedard was handed an 80 overall before his rookie 2023 campaign.
Then, Celebrini revealed his player rating.
“This year, my overall rating is … an 82,” Celebrini added cheerfully.
San Jose Sharks
It appears the Boston University product approves. Considering Celebrini didn’t believe he would be rated that highly, the rookie was more than content with a relatively high number.
“[It is] way better than I thought it would be,” Celebrini said. “So, I’m happy. I hope I can get this a little bit higher in the coming years. But, for now, for being a rookie, I’m pretty happy with it.”
Celebrini’s rating is well-deserved. He’s just unpretentious.
The South Bay local recorded 32 goals and 32 assists in his lone collegiate season. Plus, Celebrini has looked promising in Sharks training camp and the NHL Rookie Faceoff.
Despite recently downplaying his current and future impact in San Jose, The Jr. Sharks 14U alum is a big deal.
The Sharks were a league-worst 19-54 with 47 points last year. Adding Celebrini should help San Jose on the ice, and his addition already has helped lure veteran star Tyler Toffoli and further stabilize the organization’s youth foundation, including Will Smith and Thomas Bordeleau.
Celebrini deserves his player rating of 82.
And for those curious, Bedard moved up eight digits with a rating of 88.