Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini named IIHF Male Player of the Year

One of the game’s biggest budding superstars has received an exceptional honor.

On Thursday, the International Ice Hockey Federation announced that San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini has been named the 2026 IIHF Male Player of the Year.

Celebrini beat out the likes of goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (USA, Winnipeg Jets) and forward Sebastian Aho (Finland, Carolina Hurricanes), as well as Canada teammate Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers). In a ballot of nearly 200 members, Celebrini garnered 40.8 percent of the vote, exactly half of Hellebuyck’s 20.4 percent.

The Vancouver native had quite the 2025-26 season. He was the youngest player on Canada’s roster at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and while some expected him to take a lesser role on a team with the likes of McDavid, Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon, Celebrini was one of the red and white’s key players in Milan. In six games, he scored five goals and 10 points, leading all skaters in goals, while finishing second behind McDavid in tournament scoring. The duo helped Canada reach the gold medal game, ultimately losing to Hellebuyck and the United States in overtime.

Celebrini represented his country once again in the spring, captaining Canada at the IIHF Men’s World Championship. While Canada failed to medal in Switzerland, the 20-year-old registered six goals and 14 points in 10 games, finished second in the event in points and tied for third in goals.

On top of that, Celebrini had a great performance with the Sharks. On the growing team, he gave his team a chance to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2019. Though San Jose came up short, Celebrini had a monster year, finishing fourth in the NHL with 115 points.