When Macklin Celebrini was looking around for an NHL mentor for his first season with the San Jose Sharks, he probably couldn’t have asked for any better than the one he ended up with.
The North Vancouver native has been living with former NHL star Joe Thornton, who has taken the 2024 No. 1 overall pick under his wing.
Despite a 27-year age gap between them, Celebrini told the Empty Netters podcast earlier this week that Thornton has been quite the welcoming host for him in his rookie year.
And it turns out the 45-year-old Thornton is quite interested in one particular game that’s been a favourite of many younger teammates over the years.
“Jumbo loves playing Fortnite,” Celebrini said. “He gets on the sticks. All the stories you hear about him, how amazing he is… you’ve just got to know he’s playing Fortnite.”
Thornton finished his illustrious career with the Florida Panthers in 2021-22, playing 34 games and scoring five goals and five assists.
While Thornton’s best playing days are clearly behind him, Celebrini thinks he’s still got the itch to play should the Sharks — or another NHL team — ever come calling.
“If he got a call, I think he’d jump in,” Celebrini said.
“Living with him, I think it’s the perfect situation for me coming into this year, because he pretty much dealt with the same thing a little while back,” Celebrini said at the NHL media tour back in September. “Just to learn from his advice, his lessons, and his wisdom is super important for me.”
And it turns out Celebrini’s house of choice is one that’s looked on with eager eyes by other stars around the league.
“I’m kind of jealous,” fellow former No. 1 pick Auston Matthews said of Celebrini’s housemate. Matthews built a strong bond with Thornton in the 2020-21 season when the future Hall of Famer spent one season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
While Celebrini got hurt in his first-ever NHL game — after picking up a pair of points — it appears that he’s getting closer to a return.
“He’s progressing well. He’s still in this week-to-week phase. I think he’s taking steps in the right direction,” said Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky to San Jose Hockey Now.
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