The face of hockey's next generation now has a new stage.
After turning heads in the hockey world as a top young talent, Macklin Celebrini has landed one of the game’s most unique and special achievements: the cover of EA Sports NHL 27.
Reserved for hockey's biggest names, the cover is another sign that the San Jose Sharks superstar, who becomes the youngest cover athlete in EA Sports history, has quickly become one of the NHL's most recognizable faces, both on and off the ice.
Celebrini was unveiled as the cover athlete on July 14, with the game's official Reveal Trailer premiering on YouTube.
“This definitely means a lot,” Celebrini told NHLPA.com. “It's pretty cool to see my face on the cover and to be chosen as the athlete for this one.”
The 20-year-old forward is no stranger to the EA Sports world. Growing up in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Celebrini spent hours playing video games with his buddies.
“The biggest memories I have of playing video games was just wanting to skate with your favourite players and teams and having fun with your friends while doing it. I played NHL mostly, maybe a little Madden [NFL] as well. It was always a lot of fun.
“Playing the game growing up with my buddies and brother, it’s really cool to now see my face on the cover.”
Celebrini joins an impressive list of previous cover athletes, including Connor McDavid (NHL 18), Auston Matthews (NHL 20 and 22), Cale Makar (NHL 24), and Matthew Tkachuk (NHL 26).
The first-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft also becomes just the second Sharks player to grace the cover, following Owen Nolan, who appeared on the cover in 2001.
Celebrini, who signed a five-year, $94 million contract with the Sharks on July 29 (the average annual value of $18.8 million makes him the NHL's highest-paid player per season), is grateful to be associated with Nolan.
“It’s really cool,” said Celebrini. “All those Sharks teams and the guys that made an impact on San Jose in such a positive way – it’s cool to meet them now and try to follow in their footsteps.”
He’s now playing a leading role in helping San Jose make a return to the playoffs after missing out the past seven seasons.
Celebrini was one of three finalists for the 2025-26 Ted Lindsay Award, alongside Nikita Kucherov and eventual recipient Connor McDavid. In only his second season with the Sharks, he recorded a franchise single-season points record, notching 115 points (45 goals, 70 assists) in 82 games, finishing fourth in NHL scoring.
Internationally, he led the Olympic tournament with five goals and finished second overall in scoring with 10 points in six games, helping Canada capture the silver medal while earning a spot on the tournament's All-Star Team. He also captained Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Championship, recording 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 10 games to finish second in tournament scoring.
Now, Celebrini can add another milestone to his rapidly growing résumé as the face of NHL 27.
“When I found it, I was obviously very happy and grateful for the honour,” said Celebrini. “I had a lot of fun playing EA Sports hockey when I was growing up, so it’s pretty amazing to see your face on the cover.”
