Macklin Celebrini injury: What forced Sharks rookie to exit preseason game?

San Jose Sharks fans were left worried on Tuesday when rookie Macklin Celebrini left the pre-season game against the Utah Hockey Club. He suffered a lower-body injury in the second period while trying for a breakaway. Celebrini tripped and crashed into the boards, raising concerns among fans.

After the collision, he showed signs of pain but got back up and continued playing. He played for another minute and 43 seconds before heading to the locker room. However, he did not come back for the third period.

Here’s the video showing Macklin Celebrini leaving the game with a lower-body injury:

The Sharks' PR team announced on X (formerly Twitter) that

“F Macklin Celebrini will not return to tonight’s game (lower body).”

Before leaving, Celebrini played 10 minutes and 54 seconds and had two shots on goal.

At just 18, Macklin Celebrini has already made a name for himself as the first overall pick in the latest NHL Draft. This pre-season, he played in two games with the San Jose Sharks. Fans want him to recover quickly so he can show his skills on the ice as the regular season gets closer.

Macklin Celebrini performed in Sharks' first preseason game

Macklin Celebrini, the San Jose Sharks' No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, had a solid preseason debut. He scored a goal and assisted another in a 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sept 22. Celebrini said he felt comfortable and enjoyed playing in front of the home crowd.

“Right when I stepped on the ice, skating in the building for the first time, that was really cool,” Celebrini said per NHL.com. “It was pretty loud in there. I really enjoyed that.”

"...you could hear the fans that were in the building. That was cool to hear."

He scored a power-play goal in the third period and helped set up Tyler Toffoli’s goal shortly after. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky liked Celebrini’s offensive skills but said he needs to improve defensively and adjust to the NHL's speed.

“[There are] some things he needs to work on defensively, without the puck, the speed of the game for him. He scores a big goal, gets us momentum. He did some really good things offensively, for sure." Warsofsky said.

Celebrini joined the Sharks after a strong season at Boston University. The Sharks will open the regular season on October 10.