‘I’m surprised I didn’t play him more’: Jon Cooper on Macklin Celebrini’s team-leading ice time
Let’s play some trivia. Which player led the Canadian men’s hockey team in ice time during Friday’s 3-2 Olympic semifinal victory over Finland? Maybe it was Cale Makar, the Stanley Cup winning, two-time Norris Trophy winning defenseman who quarterbacks Canada’s power play and plays on their penalty kill. Or it could be Connor McDavid, the undisputed top-line center with three Hart Trophies under his belt. Another strong candidate is Nathan MacKinnon, the blazing center that has a Stanley Cup championship and a Hart Trophy of his own.
The correct answer, is none of the above. 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini led Canada with a whopping 25 minutes and 53 seconds of ice time on Friday, topping Makar, McDavid, and all the proven veteran winners that make up the Canadian roster.
While it might surprise some that the teenaged Celebrini, who has five goals and five assists for 10 points through five games in these Olympics, was Canada’s most relied-upon player on Friday, Canadian head coach Jon Cooper showed no regrets about his deployment of the San Jose Sharks phenom after the game.
“He’s generational, that kid,” Cooper said. “He plays the right way. For somebody that young to understand where to be, and he’s pulled the risk out of his game that he had in the first game in the tournament.”
Cooper continued to elaborate on how Celebrini has grown within these Olympics to earn the type of playing time he received on Friday.
“Early on, he would try to make something out of nothing, which superstar players can do,” Cooper explained. “In this tournament, you can’t, because the best players in the world all check. For him to figure that out so early and now do the things he’s doing, I’m surprised I didn’t play him more.”
Jon Cooper on trust and Macklin Celebrini’s team-high 25:53 TOI tonight: “He’s generational, that kid… I’m surprised I didn’t play him MORE.” Full quote is worth a listen ⬇️ #MilanoCortina2026 #Olympics #TeamCanada
Celebrini, who’s been playing on a loaded-up top line with McDavid and frequently MacKinnon, will now look to win gold on Sunday.