by San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, has been placed on injured reserve and will miss at least the next two games.
Celebrini was placed on IR on Saturday, two days after he made history in his NHL debut by scoring a goal and assisting in the Sharks’ 5-4 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues.
He battled a lower-body injury during training camp and preseason and missed Friday’s practice. Coach Ryan Warsofsky said Saturday that Celebrini is taking things week to week.
The earliest Celebrini could return is Thursday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks and 2023 No. 1 pick Connor Bedard. Players on injured reserve are required to sit out seven days after the last game in which they played.
Celebrini’s goal at 7:01 of the first period was the second-fastest for a No. 1 pick in his debut, surpassed only by Mario Lemieux, who scored 2:59 in his first game for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Celebrini became the sixth-youngest player to score in his NHL debut at 18 years and 119 days. According to Sportradar, he added an assist 10 minutes later, becoming the youngest player in NHL history to score two points in the first period of his debut. Shane Doan held the previous mark of 18 years and 362 days when he scored two points for Winnipeg against Dallas in 1995.
In a corresponding move, the Sharks recalled defenseman Jack Thompson from the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League. The 22-year-old Thompson has yet to score a point in three career NHL games with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Sharks.
The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.
