It’s that time of year, and it’s time for the NHL 27 cover athlete. After an exciting season and Olympic performance, EA Sports has named San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini as the cover athlete for EA Sports NHL 27.
The 20-year-old becomes the youngest player cover athlete in EA’s hockey franchise and the first Shark to land the spot since Owen Nolan on NHL 2001, over 25 years ago. Macklin Celebrini is bringing his face to a franchise on the rise, as it embraces more authentic gameplay.
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About NHL 26, we said, “NHL 26 brings new gameplay changes that bring hockey to life in a way that is better than ever. There are still some things to be ironed out, a typical issue for yearly sports releases, but there is a lot of fun to be had for hockey fans everywhere.”
Macklin Celebrini made his mark the moment he hit the ice
San Jose selected Celebrini first overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. He arrived after a dominant freshman campaign at Boston University, where he won the Hobey Baker Award as the youngest recipient in the award’s history at just 17. He scored 64 points in 38 games and helped the Terriers reach the Frozen Four.
His rookie year with the Sharks confirmed every bit of the hype. Celebrini posted 63 points (25 goals, 38 assists) in 70 games despite missing 12 early on with a lower-body injury. He became only the second rookie to lead San Jose in scoring since Pat Falloon in 1991-92, and finished as a Calder Trophy finalist.
Year two is where Celebrini went from exciting rookie to full-blown superstar. He put up 45 goals and 70 assists across all 82 games, finishing fourth in NHL scoring and shattering Joe Thornton’s franchise record of 114 points, a mark that had stood for nearly two decades. He recorded at least a point in 60 of those games and posted twice as many points as the Sharks’ next-highest scorer, Will Smith. His peers voted him a Ted Lindsay Award finalist alongside Connor McDavid and Nikita Kucherov.
Macklin Celebrini’s international resume speaks for itself
Macklin Celebrini represented Team Canada at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics as the youngest NHL player to suit up for Canada at the Games. He led the tournament in goals with five and finished second in scoring with 10 points across six games, helping Canada earn a silver medal. He also became the first NHL player in history to convert a penalty shot at the Olympics.
Hockey Canada then handed Celebrini the captaincy for the 2026 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland, making him the youngest player to ever captain Canada’s senior men’s team. He finished second in tournament scoring with 14 points in 10 games and took home Best Forward honors. The IIHF capped off his year by naming him the Male Player of the Year for the 2025-26 season.
The right call from EA
Celebrini already owns a Hobey Baker Award, an Olympic silver medal, the IIHF Male Player of the Year trophy, and the Sharks’ all-time single-season scoring record. He turned 20 last month. EA Sports NHL 27 found its cover athlete.
When is the EA Sports NHL 27 release date?
We don’t have a release date just yet. But EA Sports has asked fans to stay tuned for the reveal trailer launching on Thursday, July 16 at 11 AM ET to learn more about what is coming to NHL 27, and its release date.
