Boston U. forward Macklin Celebrini celebrates his goal as BU takes on NU in mens hockey on Jan. 9. Even before he became the presumptive first overall NHL Draft pick — and potential San Jose Shark — Macklin Celebrini loved scoring goals.
The center could continue doing so with the moribund Sharks, who as this season’s worst team, have a league-best 25 percent chance of winning Tuesday’s NHL Draft Lottery. Their prize would be Celebrini, who has been on their radar for years thanks to his Bay Area sporting ties. As a toddler, Macklin would hit whiffle balls out of his grandparents’ yard both as a lefty and right-handed hitter. As Rick tells it, the young Macklin boasted then that “someday, people are going to watch me do this.”
Much else was taught, though, by one of North America’s brightest sports medicine minds, including cross-sport exposure. “You’re really trying to tease out multi-directional movement and cutting, change of direction, ducking under things and jumping over things,” Rick said.