Macklin Celebrini, Nikita Kucherov and Connor McDavid are the finalists for the 2025-26 Ted Lindsay Award 👏
The award is presented to “the Most Outstanding Player in the NHL,” as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA.
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Macklin Celebrini is one of the NHL's premier players.
San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini was named a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award, a major coup for the second-year player.
On Tuesday, the NHL began announcing the finalists for all of its end-of-season awards. First up is the Ted Lindsay Award, which is the most outstanding player as voted by the players. Given that this award is voted on by their peers, many hockey players believe this is the most important award the NHL hands out every year, even more than the Hart Memorial Trophy, which is given to the league MVP.
The three finalists for this year’s Ted Lindsay Award are Celebrini, Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, and Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Macklin Celebrini, Nikita Kucherov and Connor McDavid are the finalists for the 2025-26 Ted Lindsay Award 👏
The award is presented to “the Most Outstanding Player in the NHL,” as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA.
Celebrini, who was the No. 1 overall pick by the Sharks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, is just 19 years old, but he has already shown he is among the league’s most elite players.
In his rookie season last year, Celebrini played 70 games for the Sharks, scoring 25 goals and 63 points, which was good enough for third in Calder Memorial Trophy voting for the league’s rookie of the year. He also earned a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team.
In his sophomore year, however, Celerbini took an incredible leap in his game. He played 82 games for the Sharks, scoring 45 goals and a whopping 115 points, becoming the first player in Sharks history to score over 100 points in a single season. Celebrini finished fourth overall in both goals and points in the entire NHL.
At just 19 years of age, he has proven that he already belongs in the upper echelon of hockey players, and he will likely be a fixture for these end-of-season awards for many years to come. Given the monumental jump that Celebrini took from his first to second season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him take an even greater leap next year, this third in the NHL, and potentially even lead the league in points.
His main priority, of course, is to help the Sharks reach the post-season, something they haven’t been a part of since the 2018-2019 season. To that end, the Sharks are expected to begin talks on a long-term contract extension with their franchise cornerstone this offseason, a contract that is expected to have him among the league’s top-paid players.
Celebrini comes from a sports family. His father, Rick, is a former soccer player and is best known for being the Director of Sports Medicine and Performance for the Golden State Warriors of the NBA. He previously served as the physiotherapist and Head of Sports Medicine and Science for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of the MLS, and the Director of Rehabilitation for the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. Macklin’s brother, Aiden, is also a professional hockey player in the Canucks organization.
Kristaps Porzingis, an NBA center on the Warriors, recently praised Rick Celebrini’s work as one of the reasons why he was able to return to health when he was traded to Golden State this season. Porzingis, who has dealt with numerous injuries and health issues this season, called the elder Celebrini the “GOAT” for the help he gave him in overcoming his ailments and returning to the court to become an important player for the Warriors in the second half of this season.
Adam Martin Adam Martin is a sports journalist with over 15 years of experience. He has a speciality in MMA, while also covering the Big 4 Sports. Adam is currently a contributor to Heavy.com, with previous experience working for The Toronto Star, Sportsnet, theScore, Bookies, BJPenn.com, and MMAOddsbreaker.com. More about Adam Martin
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