Rookies Celebrini and Smith give Sharks fans a reason to be excited

AP Sports Writer

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — San Jose prospect Will Smith likes to fire up YouTube and watch the Sharks’ epic Game 7 comeback against Vegas for inspiration.

Smith was just a 14-year-old kid living on the other side of the country during that memorable 2019 playoff game. But now he has joined No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini as reasons for optimism that the Sharks can get back to that level after a five-year stretch as the worst team in the NHL.

“How loud it was,” he said about his memory of that first-round game. San Jose overcame a 3-0 deficit in the third period to beat the Golden Knights 5-4 in overtime and Smith has asked his new teammates about it now that he is ready to make his debut with the Sharks.

“Seeing the Shark Tank like that is pretty crazy. They were telling me it was so loud, their ears were just ringing the entire time. It’s our goal to get it back to that,” he said.

San Jose went to the Western Conference final that year for the fifth time in a span of 15 seasons that included 14 playoff berths, the most regular-season wins in the NHL and second-most playoff wins.

Since then the franchise known for getting close so often but never hoisting the Stanley Cup has been the worst in the NHL, bottoming out with a 19-win season in 2023-24.

The Sharks were outscored by 147 goals, excluding shootouts, for the 12th-worst mark ever and the worst in the NHL in 30 years. San Jose set a franchise record for fewest goals scored per game (2.18) and had the fourth-worst mark in team history in goals allowed per game (3.98).

“I think last year was rock bottom for us as an organization,” general manager Mike Grier said. “Now it’s time to start moving forward and pushing things forward. I think we’re not only myself, but I think the players and everyone’s excited to get going and turn the page and see what this year brings.”

The rough season did come with a major prize at the end after winning the draft lottery.

That helped San Jose draft Celebrini, the talented Hobey Baker Award winner as the top college player last season, to team with 2023 first-round pick Smith and a deep prospect pool that gives hope to a fan base that grew apathetic in recent years.

The Sharks had their highest rate of season-ticket renewals since after making the Stanley Cup Final in 2016, and single-game and full-season packages are selling at a much higher rate. Several games are already close to being sellouts.

“It’s been a while since you drive around and you feel the buzz just walking in this building,” said captain Logan Couture, one of the few players with ties to those glory days. “People are excited. We all know the last couple of years have been extremely difficult. I think this organization is going to take a step.”

Winning the lottery led to an immediate uptick in season-ticket sales for a franchise that went from regular sellouts a decade ago to an often half-empty building that had the third-lowest attendance last season.

Celebrini downplays his role in that change.

“I don’t really think I’m the reason that this franchise is excited for the next couple of years,” he said. “I feel like between all the guys we brought in, drafted, our prospect pool, we have so many great players in this organization. It won’t be for a couple of years, but we’re trending in the right direction. I think that’s where all the excitement comes from.”

There has been little excitement since franchise stalwarts like Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski moved on in recent years, along with stars like Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson.

The Sharks are trying to link the past to the present with Celebrini living with Thornton’s family and Smith with Marleau’s to help ease their transition as rookies.

Marleau is working in the front office and Thornton is a frequent presence at practice and games, along with several other recent Sharks players who now work for the team, like Grier, Ryane Clowe, Evgeni Nabokov, Tommy Wingels and others.

Couture said the presence of many of his former teammates and mentors is beneficial to the young players but he knows the future will be established by players like Celebrini and Smith.

“It’s easy to sit here and reminisce on the good old days,” he said. “But those days are in the past. It’s nice to have them. But I think everyone knows that this organization is moving forward. I think everyone in that locker room right now is very excited.”

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