Men's Ice Hockey | 3/24/2023 8:52:55 AM

On the surface, Mack Celebrini’s path the to Chicago Steel does seem somewhat circuitous.

Born and raised in North Vancouver and one of four athletic kids belonging to Rick and Robyn Celebrini, he got his start skating as a three-year old - typical of most aspiring young hockey players. And as he rose up through the North Shore youth hockey ranks, it appeared that he might have a future in the game.

His father, Rick, who had played for soccer the Canadian U-20 national team and professionally for the Vancouver 86ers, graduated from the University of British Columbia and became a sports physiotherapist where he drew assignments from the Canadian Alpine Men’s Ski Team at the 1994 and 2002 Winter Olympics. He also was the Vancouver Whitecaps FC team physiotherapist and in 2018 became the director of sports medicine and performance for the National Basketball Association’s Golden State Warriors. That meant a move to the Bay Area where Mack and his older brother, Aiden, both landed with the San Jose Sharks AAA program.

After Mack's 94-point season with the Junior Sharks in 2019-20, the two brothers headed to Faribault, Minn., where they suited up for Shattuck-St. Mary’s.

“Midway through my first year in California, we visited Shattuck and it was pretty clear that it was the place to go,” said Celebrini.  “The school, the availability with ice, the way they train, the staff....it all made it a pretty easy decision. A big draw for a lot of the kids...with Crosby, Toews, Parise, MacKinnon and all of the players who have gone there too, it’s easy understand why those players chose to go there and that was a factor for sure.”

After two years at SSM, which included 50 goals and 67 assists for 117 points in 52 games with the 18U prep team in 2021-22, he received an invite to play for Team Canada at the 2022 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge where as a 16-year old he had a goal and an assist in four games. And along the way he signed a tender to play for the USHL’s Chicago Steel for the 2022-23 season. 

“We weighed the pros and cons to a lot of options, but ultimately, not unlike how we made the decision to go to Shattuck, things clicked,” said Celebrini. “Obviously it’s a great organization and after meeting Mike Garman and entire staff and having an understanding about how they develop players day in and day out, it wasn’t a hard decision. And while there’s been some challenges for me in my first year of junior hockey, I love the team I’m on and love my teammates. I’m super happy and it’s exceeded my expectations.”

The young forward (he won’t be eligible for the National Hockey League draft until 2024) has fit right in with the Eastern Conference-leading Steel and to say the adjustment to playing the USHL has gone well would be a massive understatement. Celebrini leads the league in goals (41), points (74), power play goals (18) and game-winning goals (7). He’s amassed 20 multiple-point games, had a five-goal game, is a four-time league Player of the Week and has established a USHL scoring record for points in a season by a U17 player.

“He’s a dynamic player,” said Garman, Chicago’s head coach and general manager. “He’s a mover with incredible ability to change direction and speed. He makes plays all over the ice and has an attack mindset. But much more than that, he’s a great teammate, on and off the ice. He’s not focused on himself, but more on team success and that’s something rare in young players. His work ethic is off the charts...I  really haven’t seen anything like it and it drives our team. Combined with his competitiveness, skill-set and ability, it makes him a pretty special player.”

In August Celebrini made his college commitment to Boston University.  His brother Aiden, a defenseman who’s spending the 2022-23 season toiling with Brooks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, is also committed to the Terriers.

Celebrini, who said that choosing to go to the USHL and Chicago meant that he was going to follow the college route, adding that “part of the reason was it let me have more flexibility in the time I felt I was going to need to develop.”

“It (choosing BU) was kind of the same as Shattuck and Chicago. I took an unofficial visit last summer and found that it had the same kind of draw as Chicago. A great staff that stressed how they’d help me with my game and how I would develop. And, of course, it’s a great school. Just everything. It was very similar as my experience in meeting the staff here in Chicago in that we seemed to click.”

But first the end to the regular season looms for Celebrini as he and his Steel teammates hope to head down a path that they hope will lead to a Clark Cup championship.

“It would mean everything to us, that’s why we work so hard during the year, in the weight room and on the ice every day,” said Celebrini. “To get to that place and be able to accomplish that goal at the end of the year.”