At his first official practice, Macklin Celebrini delivered on the high expectations that came with his lofty draft status, looking right at home by scoring a goal and creating scoring chances.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – Since 2018, the Rookie Faceoff has emerged as a top showcase for prospects of western-based NHL organizations ahead of their main training camps. It’s become a competition for top draft picks to show why they were deserving of a high standing by teams and for lesser-known players to leave a strong impression.

It did not take long for Macklin Celebrini to make an impact in his first competitive game in a San Jose Sharks uniform on Friday. Playing for the first time in nearly four months, the 18-year-old Celebrini scored a third-period power-play goal and finished with five shots in the Sharks’ 3-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club to start the Rookie Faceoff in El Segundo.

He looks like a kid. He sounds like a kid. He is a kid. But Macklin Celebrini does not carry himself like a kid. To be clear, he still has that youthful pep in his step.

The Sharks didn’t play Celebrini in Sunday’s rookie game contest against Anaheim, and there’s a strong possibility that he won’t suit up in another game until sometime during the preseason. Friday’s showing was enough for club officials to readily see that he’s already at a notch about his peers.

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