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Macklin Celebrini decided the 2024-25 season with the San Jose Sharks wasn’t enough hockey for his rookie season and joined Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Championships. The Sharks’ rookie superstar is sharing a Canadian roster alongside some of the biggest names in the NHL.
One of those names is Pittsburgh Penguins captain, Sidney Crosby, someone Celebrini idolized growing up. The two play in different conferences, so it’s rare for Celebrini and Crosby’s paths to meet, but sharing a lineup is a whole new experience for the youngster.
Celebrini told Dennik Sport that he wasn’t sure how to address Crosby when the two arrived in Europe for the tournament.
When they arrived at #MensWorlds, Celebrini called Sid “Mr. Crosby,” and Sid wanted no part of it pic.twitter.com/hZS4BJJldr
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 20, 2025
“At first I called him Mr. Crosby,” Celebrini said. “But he immediately corrected me that he was Sid.”
Crosby is almost 20 years older than Celebrini, making the future Hall of Famer a true elder statesman in the sport. Even though he’s a veteran in this situation, Crosby prefers to look at everyone of his teammates as equals.
No need for “Mr.” around someone who is still sometimes referred to as “Sid the Kid.”
More than just meeting and sharing a locker room with his hockey hero, Celebrini is sharing a line with Crosby during the games. Crosby centers Team Canada’s second line with Celebrini and Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny on his wings.
Their line has been performing pretty well with Crosby and Konecny both notching nine points in six games, and Celebrini putting up five points.
Crosby and Celebrini have connected for a couple of goals as they hope to bring another IIHF gold medal to Canada.
Crosby may be nearing the end of his playing career, but he has set the standard for every young superstar to follow. Celebrini has a bright career ahead of him and he'll be sure to learn everything he can from Crosby during their time together on Team Canada.
Maybe the two share a lineup again at the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.
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Red Wings set to finally honor franchise legend Sergei Fedorov
It's been a while since Detroit Red Wings fans have truly had something to celebrate. No matter what happens with the current team this season, that will change come Jan. 12, 2026. A long-awaited honor will take place as part of a celebration of the franchise's 100th season. On Tuesday, the Red Wings announced they will retire Sergei Fedorov's No. 91. Even though fans may care more about seeing the once-proud Red Wings back in the playoffs, the decision to finally honor Detroit's last Hart Trophy winner provides a moment to reflect on the past. The big news even included a statement of gratitude from Fedorov himself. "I'm extremely grateful for this tremendous honor. Thank you to everyone with the Red Wings organization, especially those who helped bring me to Detroit and gave me the chance to play for such a historic franchise. I was fortunate to be part of some unforgettable teams, and above all, I'm proud of the three Stanley Cup championships we won for our amazing fans in Hockeytown. The memories made along the way — with legendary teammates, coaches, and exceptional ownership — will stay with me forever." No. 91 will become the ninth number raised to the rafters by Detroit, joining Terry Sawchuk (No. 1), Red Kelly (No. 4), Nicklas Lidstrom (No. 5), Ted Lindsay (No. 7), Gordie Howe (No. 9), Alex Delvecchio (No. 10), Sid Abel (No. 12) and Yzerman (No. 19). Some could argue that Fedorov taking his rightful place among fellow Red Wings legends is long overdue — he played his last NHL game in 2012 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015 — but it's finally happening nonetheless. Fedorov has always deserved the honor for his accomplishments on the ice, but his story has been a complicated one since he became one of the faces of the NHL in the 1990s after defecting from Russia. From that point on, the Russian superstar would become one of the league's best players and a marketing sensation off the ice as well. He scored exactly 400 goals and registered 954 total points in 13 seasons with the Red Wings. Fedorov was an All-Star six times, named league MVP in 1994 and helped Detroit capture three Stanley Cup titles. Fedorov would finish his career with 483 goals and 1,179 points, also spending time with the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals. However, despite his brilliance on the ice, Fedorov's relationship with the Red Wings has been rocky since he left Detroit 22 years ago. The initial drama began in 1997 when Fedorov held out as a restricted free agent early in the season during a contract dispute. He even signed an offer sheet with the Carolina Hurricanes. Detroit matched the offer, but the wounds between Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch and Fedorov never fully healed. Then came Fedorov's actual departure as an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2003. At that time, he rejected a larger offer to stay with Detroit and instead decided to sign with the Ducks, the team that just upset the then-defending champion Red Wings in the first round. Fedorov's decision was viewed as a betrayal by fans, leading to the former fan favorite being booed mercilessly upon his return to Joe Louis Arena the following season. Unfortunately, this led to Fedorov being separated from the Red Wings for many years, even after retiring. Fast forward to the present day, and the two sides are united again, this time forever. And it feels right because, in Fedorov's own words from his Hall of Fame induction speech, he's a Red Wing at heart. But now that one hockey injustice has been corrected, the pressure remains on general manager Steve Yzerman, Fedorov's former teammate from 1990-2003, to ensure the Red Wings' future is as bright as its past.
Shaquille O'Neal makes peace with longtime enemy — mostly
Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard patched things up Sunday after years of feuding. But even while describing their rapprochement, O'Neal couldn't keep from teasing his longtime nemesis. The "Big Aristotle" was at the BIG3 playoffs Sunday to watch Howard's L.A. Riot play the Chicago Triplets. In the middle of describing to Rachel Nichols how he and Howard had made peace, O'Neal broke off his explanation to make fun of Howard for missing a dunk. The two Hall of Fame centers had sparred for years, despite their common ground as former members of the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers. Some of the tension seemed to be due to Howard adopting O'Neal's "Superman" nickname, though O'Neal claimed to Nichols that he was simply being tough on Howard to motivate him. That explanation doesn't account for the time O'Neal mocked Howard for playing basketball in the Taiwanese league or the decade-plus he's spent roasting Howard on his podcast, in public appearances and on "Inside the NBA." Still, it appears that the two have made peace. Despite O'Neal being left off the original list of presenters, he insisted that he'll be among a group of Hall of Famers inducting Howard Sept. 6, including Dominique Wilkins, Robert Parish, Dennis Rodman and Patrick Ewing. It means that two of the most dominant big men of their eras have finally buried the hatchet. It's added a new level of interest to the Hall of Fame ceremonies, and it should be a sweet moment between O'Neal and Howard. As long as Howard doesn't mention Superman.
Chicago Bears looking at bringing back familiar face at running back
The Chicago Bears don’t appear satisfied with their running back room with one week left to decide the 53-man roster. The Bears have until Aug. 26 to make their final cuts before preparing for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1. The Bears entered training camp with questions at running back. Veteran D’Andre Swift had a down year in 2024. Roschon Johnson isn’t a long-term solution, and seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai will have a steep learning curve when the regular season begins. The Chicago Bears worked out a former running back Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC, the Bears worked out running backs Royce Freeman, undrafted rookie Kylin James and former Carolina Panthers practice-squad player Dillon Johnson. Royce Freeman played with the Bears in 2024 Of the three, Freeman is the only running back with stats at the NFL level. Freeman, a third-round pick by the Denver Broncos in 2018, has appeared in 79 games and started nine games. He’s rushed 471 times for 1,472 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Bears signed Freeman to the practice squad in December. He was then signed to the Los Angeles Rams practice squad in January. He last played a regular-season game in 2023, when he added 319 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games for the Rams. The Bears are signaling their need for a running back this summer. There are other options available in the trade market, as the Washington Commanders are shopping Brian Robinson Jr. during the preseason. More running backs will be available after other teams trim their rosters to 53 players, but they might not be the type of athletes to make a significant boost for the offense early in the regular season.
Commanders' Terry McLaurin reportedly wants more money than previously thought
Previous reports indicated that unsettled Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin was looking to land "parts" of the five-year, $150M contract that the Pittsburgh Steelers gave DK Metcalf earlier this year. For an article published on Wednesday morning, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic offered an update regarding why McLaurin and the Commanders haven't come to terms on an extension after the 29-year-old requested a trade on July 31. "One person with knowledge of McLaurin’s contract negotiations said the veteran receiver has asked for more than DK Metcalf," Jhabvala revealed. McLaurin is in the final year of his current deal and will turn 30 years old in September. To compare, Metcalf will turn 28 in December. That said, McLaurin emerged last season as the favorite target for quarterback Jayden Daniels as Daniels guided the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game. "McLaurin believes he’s one of the best receivers in the NFL," Jhabvala added. "He’s been the Commanders' leading receiver every season since he entered the league (in 2019), and last year had the second-most receiving TDs in the league behind Ja’Marr Chase’s 17. He also ranked third in (expected points added) on targets and seventh in catch rate among receivers with at least 100 targets last year, but among that same group, McLaurin’s total receiving yards (1,096) ranked 12th and his average yards after the catch ranked 25th." Daniels seemed optimistic while speaking about the ongoing contract standoff during the ESPN broadcast of Monday's preseason game between the Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals when he said he knew McLaurin would "be coming through the door soon." However, Jhabvala noted that "it wouldn’t be a surprise if the [Commanders have] set a maximum range of $27M to $28M a year in average annual value for McLaurin." That seems to suggest the two sides aren't all that close to coming to terms on an agreement. It's unclear if McLaurin is willing to forfeit money by sitting out Washington's Week 1 game against the New York Giants on Sept. 7 amid his desire for a pay raise. If he isn't, he may have to soon accept the offer that's on the table to guarantee himself future earnings beyond the upcoming season.
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