Macklin Celebrini was named captain of the San Jose Sharks on Friday, making the 20-year-old the youngest captain in franchise history, the team announced at training camp.
Former captain Joe Thornton, who has mentored Celebrini since San Jose selected him first overall in the 2024 draft, handed him the “C” in front of the team. “I know how much this guy means to everyone in this room and in the whole Bay Area,” Thornton said, according to NHL.com. “So Macklin, get up here, my friend.”
General manager Mike Grier said the choice reflected what he had seen from Celebrini through camp. “Your hard work, the way you lead our group,” Grier said. “Just watching you in training camp going double shifts there. But you’re pushing the group, so this is, well, a well-deserved honour.”
Celebrini said he still has work to do. “I still have a lot of space to grow, I think, in my game and off the ice,” he said.
The captaincy had been open since Logan Couture retired in April 2025. Celebrini finished fourth in NHL scoring last season with 115 points, 45 goals and 70 assists, in 82 games, and has 178 points in 152 career games.
In Carolina, the Hurricanes locked up their goaltending depth Friday, signing Pyotr Kochetkov to a two-year contract extension through the 2028-29 season, the team announced. NHL.com’s breakdown of the deal puts its total value at roughly US$7.9 million: $2.4 million in salary plus a $1.5-million signing bonus in the first year, and $3 million in salary plus a $1-million bonus in the second.
General manager Eric Tulsky said Kochetkov’s style suits Carolina’s system. “Pyotr is an incredibly talented goalie whose aggressive style fits our team very well,” Tulsky said. “We believe in his ability to win games for this organization and are thrilled he wants to continue helping us pursue championships in Carolina.”
Kochetkov, 27, appeared in nine games last season after recovering from a lower-body injury, going 6-2-0 with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage, and made three conditioning starts with the American Hockey League’s Chicago Wolves. For his Hurricanes career, he is 71-38-12 with a 2.46 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.
Elsewhere around the league Friday, the Washington Capitals continued to manage forward Alex Ovechkin’s lower-body injury but still expect him ready for their regular-season opener, according to a Friday injury roundup from NHL Rumors. In Minnesota, Brock Faber left Thursday’s preseason game after taking a puck to the head in the second period, a move the Wild called precautionary. In Dallas, centre Tyler Seguin returned to preseason action for the first time since a knee injury last December.
In Edmonton, the Oilers close out their preseason Saturday night at Rogers Place against the Calgary Flames, the last tune-up before Tuesday’s regular-season opener at home to the Vancouver Canucks.
