The New Young Captains of The NHL: Spotlight on Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini
Remember when we all said Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini were “the future of the league”? Turns out the future showed up early, and it’s wearing a C.
Chicago went first. On September 15, 2026, the Blackhawks named Bedard the 37th captain in franchise history. He’s 21, which tells you everything about how quickly the Blackhawks’ rebuild has been shaped around him.
Then San Jose answered. About ten days later, Celebrini was picked as Sharks captain at 20, the youngest in team history and the 11th full-time captain the club has had. Hockey legend Joe Thornton handed him the captain’s jersey at a team meeting. If you want a “this is a big deal” moment, a franchise icon passing the torch to a 20-year-old is it. And that makes Celebrini the youngest current captain in the NHL, edging out Bedard.
The Celebrini Résumé is Getting Ridiculous
Let’s talk about what Celly has already done before his age even has a 2 in front of it.
At the 2026 Olympics in Milan-Cortina, he became the youngest NHL player ever selected to Team Canada.
He led the Olympics in goals with five, helping Canada to a silver medal.
Hockey Canada then named him captain for the 2026 World Championship in Switzerland, and when Sidney Crosby joined the team, Crosby backed Celebrini keeping the “C.” When Sidney Crosby is the one saying “no, he’s the captain,” that’s a pretty strong endorsement.
He had a point on 46.2% of San Jose’s goals, second in the league behind only Connor McDavid and the best rate ever for a teenager. l
He was a Ted Lindsay Award finalist and finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting.
The catch is that the Sharks have missed the playoffs seven straight seasons. But Celebrini isn’t alone. He’s surrounded by a promising young group that includes Michael Misa, Will Smith, Igor Chernyshov and Sam Dickinson. San Jose finally looks like it’s building something real.
Bedard: the guy who started the whole conversation
Bedard has been in the spotlight since his WHL days in Regina and his World Juniors heroics. He went first overall in 2023, and won the Calder Trophy the year before Celebrini’s rookie season. The Chicago captaincy was also a smooth handoff in the room. Bedard began wearing an “A” as an alternate captain last year, after Nick Foligno was traded to Minnesota. He’s been growing into this for a while.
Is 20 or 21 too young to be a captain?
Short answer: not even close to unprecedented. Hockey has a long tradition of handing the “C” to young stars:
So Bedard and Celebrini are in very good company, and that list is basically a who’s who of franchise cornerstones.
The fun part: the rivalry that keeps on giving
Back-to-back first overall picks, two rebuilding teams, two captains, and a “who would you rather have?” debate that will not die. Celebrini’s fans love pointing out that even in their rookie-year comparison, he had the higher points-per-game rate despite missing early games to injury. Bedard’s fans have the Calder and the long-running hype. The debate is delightful, and honestly, we’re lucky to have it.
What to watch this season
Both guys are now officially responsible for more than scoring: the room, the culture, the tough nights. One NHL.com columnist even floated that either or both of them could end up with a Hart Trophy vote this spring. I wouldn’t bet against it.
Either way, circle every Blackhawks–Sharks game on your calendar. The captains of the new generation are just getting started.
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