Celebrini takes his turn to put on a show for Vancouver friends, hockey fans

VANCOUVER – Amid the Vancouver Canucks’ lost season, the fans in the stands at Rogers Arena are bearing witness to star turns from the local kids who come to town to play in front of friends and family.

Tuesday night, it was Macklin Celebrini’s turn. The 19-year-old centre had his best night yet on his hometown sheet with a goal and three assists as his San Jose Sharks handed the Canucks yet another loss, this time by a 5-2 margin. Vancouver is 1-12-2 in its last 15 games.

Celebrini now has nine points in four career games played in his hometown.

“It’s always special coming back home,” he said after being named the game’s first star for the second time in San Jose’s two visits to Vancouver this season.

With the win, the Sharks retain their hold on the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. After missing the playoffs for the last six seasons, they’re now seeing their rebuild bear fruit with a lineup that features six top-11 draft picks from across the last six years.

Now at 27 goals, the 2024 No. 1, Celebrini, is tied with Sidney Crosby and two other players for 10th overall in league goal-scoring. His 78points rank him fourth overall in that category behind only Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov.

In just over a week, Celebrini will be jetting to Italy along with Crosby, McDavid and MacKinnon to suit up for Team Canada at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

“He’s a great player,” said defenceman Tom Willander, the Canucks’ No. 11 pick from the 2023 draft who played with Celebrini at Boston University during the 2023-24 season. Willander gave the home side an early lead with his third goal of the season just 1:15 into the first period.

“Some of the stuff he does is unbelievable,” Willander added. “He’s very skilled, so you’ve got to be careful when you’re out there.”

With Brock Boeser sidelined due to an illegal check to the head from Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust on Sunday, the Canucks called up left-winger Jonathan Lekkerimaki to fill that offensive hole. The 15th pick from 2022 played 16:05 and finished with four shots on goal, but wasn’t able to convert as the triggerman on a 5-on-3 power play that lasted 1:56 in the second period, with the score 4-1 for San Jose.

“It’s on us,” said defenceman Filip Hronek. “We have to be better there, for sure.”

Celebrini’s star turn comes two days after 18-year-old Ben Kindel of Coquitlam, B.C., stole the show in front of a massive cheering section of friends and family with two goals and first-star honours in Pittsburgh’s 3-2 win over Vancouver.

Back on Jan. 3, Fraser Minten’s overtime tally for the Boston Bruins also earned him the first-star award. The 21-year-old grew up in Vancouver’s Yaletown neighbourhood, a stone’s throw from Rogers Arena.

On Tuesday, two former Canucks also celebrated their returns to their old stomping grounds with goals. Adam Gaudette made it 2-1 with his 11th of the year at 4:43 of the first, and Tyler Toffoli followed up with his 15th at 5:55.

Former Canuck Vincent Desharnais also skated 21:07 on the Sharks’ blue line, but newly acquired Kiefer Sherwood, who was traded from Vancouver to San Jose on Jan. 19, sat out his eighth game with a hand injury. He has yet to debut with his new team.

As they solidify their hold on 32nd place in the NHL standings, the 17-31-5 Canucks have five games remaining before the Olympics, including home tilts against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

At 27-21-3, the Sharks have four more stops on their pre-Olympic road trip, starting Thursday in Edmonton.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2026.