A little after a week drafting him with the first overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft the San Jose Sharks have locked up their new player. The team announced they have signed Macklin Celebrini to a three-year, entry-level contract starting in the 2024-25 NHL season.
According to Puckpedia, Celebrini will make a base salary of $877.5K each year of his entry-level deal. Additionally, the team has offered Celebrini the maximum amount of signing bonuses possible, as he will receive a signing bonus of $97K, Group “A” performance bonuses totaling, $1MM, and Group “B” performance bonuses of $2.5MM in all three years which could bring his AAV up $4.475MM if all conditions are met.
The signing confirms that Celebrini will suit up for the Sharks next season as players become ineligible for NCAA participation after signing professional contracts. The young prospect will become a one-and-done player with Boston University and move to the Bay Area to start his professional career.
It was not a bad lone collegiate season for Celebrini as he joined the Terrier program after spending one season with the Chicago Steel of the USHL in the year prior. In 38 games for Boston University this past season, Celebrini scored 32 goals and 64 points which was good for third in league-scoring in his freshman campaign. At the end of the season, Celebrini was named the Hockey East Player of the Year, Hockey East Rookie of the Year, Hockey East Scoring Champion, Hockey East Three Stars Award, and the Hobey Baker Award winner.
Celebrini became the youngest player in NCAA history to win the Hobey Baker and the fourth freshman all-time behind Paul Kariya (1993), Jack Eichel (2015), and Adam Fantilli (2023). Celebrini became the unanimous best prospect in the 2024 NHL Draft by achieving such a dominant season in the American collegiate scene. He will continue his rise to stardom in the Sharks organization as the team looks to rebuild its team from the ground up. San Jose has not quite taken the next step to be considered a playoff contender for the 2024-25 NHL season but they should be exciting to watch with Celebrini and former fourth overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, Will Smith, on the roster after signing his entry-level contract at the end of May.
I’m so pumped for next year. First will smith and now cellibrini! Let’s go sharks!
I think they might be a fun team to watch
Can’t wait either
NHL draftpicks make next to nothing on these entry-level contracts. It’s a flawed system.
Me, I’m cheering. (Hey, I root for Sucks2BU’s archrivals.)
As to “next to nothing,” I would cheerfully accept a tenth of what Celebrini is going to be making. So would a lot of people. What do you fancy is “flawed” about it? That ticket prices aren’t going to be jacked even more for entry level bidding wars?
That’s how it is in every sport (and life as well). Gotta prove it at the top level before getting paid. Why should anyone pay on potential? Why should the kid be paid massive dollars before showing he can play at the ultimate level? What other instance is that done?
No it’s not like this in every sport. NFL and NBA salaries for their rookie contracts are much higher.
I don’t care much for baseball but the top ten picks in the MLB draft make more as well.
Yes, well, NFL, NBA and MLB salaries for EVERYONE at key positions are higher. Shohei Ohtani makes close to as much per season all by himself as the NHL CAP LIMIT. The guys who are 100th on the list of most expensive sports contracts make nearly triple what the highest paid NHL player does. C’mon.
You’re not a professional athlete. What you would be happy with is irrelevant in this discussion.
And you’re not a professional athlete either. So what you’d be unhappy with is equally irrelevant. Right?
That’s cute but me saying rookies in the NHL are underpaid(which they are) isn’t the same discussion as a random like yourself saying what you would be happy with financially.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz …
Yeah go cry about how you’ll never make one tenth of what professional athletes make. No one feels sorry for you.
If you could read well you would know I was talking about rookie contracts.
Why can’t a rookie negotiate for more money or a signing bonus? Is it going to take a rookie who won’t sign to fix this? Lindros did something along these lines.
I suspect it’s a trade-off the NHL and the NHLPA have agreed on in the CBA. NHLPA is negotiating for both prospects and veterans, although prospects and veterans have rather different goals and interest.