Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini shared mutual respect after a high-quality clash between the Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks to close their 2025-26 NHL regular season series.
McDavid led the way in a 5-2 win with a dominant five-point night. He scored three goals on eight shots and added two assists, controlling the game from start to finish. His first goal and both assists came on the power play, before he added two even-strength goals in the second period to complete his hat trick, his 15th.
The performance pushed McDavid to 133 points this season, creating a gap over Nikita Kucherov in the scoring race. It also marked his third five-point game of the campaign and kept him within reach of another 50-goal season.
Despite the result, Celebrini impressed again for San Jose. The 19-year-old opened the scoring early and finished with his 42nd goal of the season. He now sits on 108 points, continuing one of the most productive rookie campaigns in recent history.
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Mutual respect between Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini
After the game, McDavid praised Celebriniâs rise among the leagueâs elite. He described him as one of the top players and admitted he would rather play alongside him than against him.
“There’s a lot of great players in this league,” McDavid said. “As I said in my interview there earlier, he’s right up there with the very, very top. So, always a fun matchup. I prefer him playing on my left side at the Olympics than going against him. But yeah, we had to do a job. He’s a great player.”
Celebrini returned the praise without hesitation. He called McDavid the best player in the league and pointed to his speed as the biggest challenge.
“He’s the best player in the league, and he’s also the fastest, so if you don’t really slow him down or get in his way, he’s just gonna skate by you,” Celebrini said. “You’ve seen it his whole career. I mean, I watched it. I loved watching it when I was a fan, but super frustrating when you play against it.”
The exchange reflected a passing of the torch moment, even as McDavid continues to dominate the league.
Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini’s Olympic chemistry
Their connection goes beyond NHL competition. At the 2026 Winter Olympics, the two played together for Canada on the same line and showed instant chemistry. McDavidâs playmaking and Celebriniâs aggressive style created a strong partnership on the top line, and they won a silver.
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McDavid led the tournament with 13 points, becoming the MVP, while Celebrini set a teenage Olympic scoring record with 5 goals. Their natural fit stabilized Canadaâs lineup, allowing other stars to thrive in secondary roles
While they competed hard on Wednesday, their familiarity was clear in how they read each otherâs game. For now, McDavid remains the standard. But Celebriniâs rapid rise suggests the leagueâs future is already challenging its present.
