Macklin Celebrini Named Canada Captain for World Championship

macklin celebrini will captain Canada at the IIHF world hockey championship after Hockey Canada named him on Sunday. John Tavares and Ryan O'Reilly will serve as the alternates. Celebrini arrives with a silver medal from Milan and a record that already puts him in rare Canadian company.

Celebrini Takes Canada’s Lead

The 19-year-old San Jose Sharks star gets the letter after posting five goals and 10 points in six games at the Olympics in Milan. He became the youngest player to play at the Olympics and tied Jarome Iginla for the most goals scored by a Canadian at a tournament with NHL participation.

That production is the clearest reason Canada turned to him for the role. Celebrini did not just survive on the Olympic stage; he drove offense against top-level competition and left the event with a silver medal.

Tavares and O'Reilly Behind Him

Tavares gives Canada a veteran backstop. He has represented the country four times at the world championship, produced 16 goals and 25 points in 22 games, and wore the captaincy in 2024 when Canada lost the bronze-medal game to Sweden and finished fourth overall.

O'Reilly brings a different kind of tournament résumé. This will be his sixth appearance at the world championships, and he has won back-to-back gold medals with Canada in 2015 and 2016, plus a silver medal in 2018.

Switzerland Tournament Window

The world championship runs from May 15 to 31 in Zürich and Fribourg, Switzerland. Canada’s leadership group is set before puck drop, with Celebrini now carrying the top job and two proven veterans working behind him.

For Canada, the decision points to a team willing to put the captaincy in the hands of its youngest Olympic participant and surround him with players who have already been through the tournament’s pressure. The structure is clear before the roster skates into Switzerland.