Macklin Celebrini is a certified star. The hockey world knows it. As will the video game world, where the 20-year-old is being recognized as a face of the NHL.On Tuesday, EA Sports dropped a teaser reveal for its “NHL 27” video game, featuring the San Jose Sharks phenom on the cover. Celebrini is the second Sharks player to grace a standard cover in the popular franchise’s history, joining Owen Nolan (NHL 2000), and the youngest EA NHL cover athlete ever.The recognition is another example of Celebrini’s growing profile as a marketable hockey star. The young center has previously been featured in a commercial for Sony, which announced a partnership with the Sharks last December.
The next generation is here. Macklin Celebrini is the youngest NHL cover athlete in history. Tune in for the #NHL27 Reveal Trailer on July 16 at 11 AM ET.
— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) July 14, 2026After a debut NHL season in which he finished third in Calder Trophy voting for rookie of the year, Celebrini exploded in 2025-26: In leading San Jose with 45 goals, 70 assists and 115 points over 82 games, he amassed one of the greatest seasons by a teenaged player in NHL history. Celebrini finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting for league MVP as he powered the Sharks toward a potential playoff bid before they ultimately finished four points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
