Sharks place rookie Macklin Celebrini on IR with a lower-body injury

St. Louis Blues left wing Jake Neighbours, left, chases after San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, right, during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — The San Jose Sharks placed rookie Macklin Celebrini on the injured reserve list on Saturday with a lower-body injury.

The move came two days after Celebrini made an impressive debut by recording a goal and an assist in an overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues.

The 18-year-old Celebrini was picked first overall in June and is being counted on to help spark a rebuild in San Jose. He was hampered in the preseason with a lower-body injury. Coach Ryan Warsofsky said Celebrini is week to week.

Celebrini became the youngest player in NHL history to record two points in the first period of his debut, according to Sportradar, doing it at 18 years, 119 days. Shane Doan held the previous mark of 18 years, 362 days, when he had two points for Winnipeg against Dallas in 1995.

He also scored the second-fastest first goal ever for a No. 1 pick, with his goal 7:01 into the opener trailing only Mario Lemieux, who scored 2:59 into his debut against Boston on Oct. 11, 1984.

Celebrini had 64 points in 38 games as a freshman at Boston University last season, when he won the Hobey Baker Award as the top college player.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The Associated Press

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