San Jose Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini has taken the NHL by storm since being selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft.
As the curtain begins to close on his rookie campaign, Celebrini has fans in San Jose feeling optimistic for the future, even though the team remains at the bottom of the league standings.
On Wednesday, Celebrini enjoyed arguably his best game in the NHL during a showdown against the Minnesota Wild. The 18-year-old recorded the first hat trick of his career, smashing home three goals in the 8–7 overtime loss against Minnesota, in what was the final regular-season home game of Marc-Andre Fleury's career.
In doing so, Celebrini became the first No. 1 pick to score a hat trick in his rookie season since Auston Matthews achieved the feat in 2016 for the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to ESPN.
Not bad company to join in league history.
Celebrini has 62 points in his rookie campaign, including 24 goals. Following Wednesday's five-point outing, he now has nine points in his last four games.
The future is bright for Celebrini, who continues to serve as a bright light for Sharks fans amid what has been an otherwise difficult season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Macklin Celebrini Achieves Rare Rookie Feat Not Seen Since Auston Matthews in 2016.
