Macklin Celebrini was named Team Canada's captain earlier this month at the IIHF World Championship in Switzerland. Sidney Crosby joined the roster a couple of weeks ago as a late but welcome addition. Even after Crosby arrived, Celebrini retained the captaincy, against his own wishes.

The young Sharks center actually wanted Crosby to take over the "C" once he got there. But Crosby refused. He wanted Celebrini to know what it felt like to captain Team Canada in a tournament.

"He's a very nice guy," Crosby said about Celebrini. "I liked him right away." That was the start of it.

Crosby has been impressed by what he sees in the 19-year-old. "More than anything, I love how competitive he is," Crosby said. "That's what I see when I pay attention to him."

He went deeper on what stands out. "He wants to get better every day, and he wants his team to get better every day. He has a passion for those things. To me, that's leadership."

Crosby also pointed out how much Celebrini has grown. "You've got to consider how much better he is now," Crosby said. "From last year until now? The jump he's made over the last year, to me, is very clear. He's a different hockey player now."

For Celebrini, getting close to Crosby has been a dream. "It's been so great, it's hard to put it into words," he said. "I can't tell you what it means to me just to pick his brain, be around him, get to know him."

Sidney Crosby Sees Shades of Himself in Macklin Celebrini

The comparisons are hard to miss. Watch Celebrini closely and you might think you just saw a Crosby shift. The grit, the cycle game, the lifting of an unsuspecting stick behind the net, it is all there.

Celebrini admits that is no accident. "I constantly watched highlights and videos of him when I was growing up," he said. "For all of my life, I always wanted to be just like him."

"I'd see a highlight of a pass or a play he made, and I'd try to do it. Now, you never actually think about getting to his level. But you try."

The numbers back it up too. Celebrini just put up 45 goals and 115 points in his second NHL season at age 19. That mirrors Crosby's 120-point year at age 19 with the Penguins.

For Team Canada, having both on the ice is a gift. The torch is being passed in real time, and everyone in the room can feel it.

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Written by

Sahil Prashar

Edited by

Sahil Prashar