Macklin Celebrini earns rare praise from Radko Gudas at 2026 Olympics
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Daniel Lucente
Feb 13, 2026 (1:00 PM)
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Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Macklin Celebrini getting love from Radko Gudas at the 2026 Olympics feels unreal, and San Jose Sharks fans know why it matters.
Gudas is not a guy who hands out compliments like candy.
He makes his living on the edge, finishing checks, closing space, and making stars miserable.
So when a Czechia leader stops after Canada vs Czechia and says, “We can’t believe he’s 19,” you pause.
That is opponent respect, the kind you earn shift after shift.
Here’s the quote making the rounds, straight from the post.
"We can't believe he's 19. It's great for Canada to have a guy like that."
- Radko Gudas
- Radko Gudas
Celebrini is 19, drafted in 2024, first round, first overall by San Jose, and he is already driving games.
He has 28-53-81 through 55 games this season, and the Sharks are sitting 27-24-4 back home.
Macklin Celebrini forces the San Jose Sharks into the spotlight
If you are a Sharks fan, you have been waiting years for this kind of heartbeat player, and now the whole world is watching him do it on the loudest stage.
Against Czechia on Thursday, Celebrini scored with five seconds left in the first period in a 5-0 Canada win.
That goal is why Canada can toss a teenager into the top-six and not blink.
Gudas calling him “great to watch” is the sneaky part.
It is basically a defender admitting, “I hate playing this guy,” without saying it.
And it tracks, because Celebrini plays fast between the ears.
He slips checks, changes lanes, and gets pucks to dangerous ice before the blue line can set.
Canada does not need him to be Connor McDavid, they need him to tilt a shift.
If he keeps earning words like that from a guy like Gudas, the rest of this tournament is going to feel very long for everyone else.
Also read on HockeyLatest :
Team Canada’s forward depth just sent a Milano Cortina 2026 warning
Team Canada’s forward depth just sent a Milano Cortina 2026 warning
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 13|159 ANSWERS Macklin Celebrini earns rare praise from Radko Gudas at 2026 Olympics Should Macklin Celebrini stay in Canada’s top-six all Olympics? | ||
| Yes | 154 | 96.9 % |
| No | 5 | 3.1 % |
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