San Jose Sharks
Macklin Celebrini Lights the Lamp! First Olympic Goal for Canada
Macklin Celebrini scored the first goal for Team Canada in the 2026 Winter Olympics hockey tournament against Czechia.
Macklin Celebrini scored the first goal for Team Canada in the opening game of the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s hockey tournament in Milan-Cortina against Czechia. The 19-year-old San Jose Sharks superstar tipped in a shot from Cale Makar with just 5.7 seconds left in the first period. This gave Canada a 1-0 lead and marked the first goal of the tournament for Team Canada.
Celebrini, the youngest player on Canada’s roster and the first teenager to represent the country in Olympic men’s hockey featuring NHL players, notched this milestone on his Olympic debut. Connor McDavid earned the secondary assist on the play. Fans erupted online, with posts celebrating it as his first Olympic goal and first for the senior men’s national team in this setting.
This comes amid Celebrini’s breakout sophomore NHL season (he’s fourth in league scoring with 28 goals and 53 assists in 55 games for the Sharks). He’s skating on Canada’s top line alongside stars like McDavid and Tom Wilson, drawing massive hype as a key contributor in Canada’s quest for gold.
What a way to introduce himself on the biggest international stage!
It was the second goal for Team Canada, but the first goal of the game was called back thanks to a tripping penalty by Nick Suzuki.
This game has been wildly entertaining and fast-paced. Czechia is holding its own, showing well. Pierre LeBrun tweeted, “Czechs were full value in that period, shots 11-11. Team Canada getting slowed down in transition through neutral zone by Czechia. Cellebrini late period goal has to be deflating for Czechia, just six seconds away from heading to the room in a 0-0 tie. Some tinkering late… “
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