Celebrini, Bedard excited for 1st NHL clash: 'Going to be great'

Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard are thrilled to face off in a matchup of the NHL's two most recent first overall picks for the first time in their professional careers Thursday night.

"For sure, it's going to be great," Celebrini told NHL.com's Tracey Myers. "Them and us, we have a way to go before it's a high-level rivalry where we're both in a playoff spot and maybe we face each other in the playoffs. Both of our franchises need a little bit of time to get there."

Celebrini missed the first two meetings of the season between the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks due to injury. The clubs occupy the bottom two spots of the NHL standings, but the pair of young phenoms and North Vancouver natives are bright spots on the rebuilding squads.

"He's always been a superstar," Celebrini said of Bedard. "Whenever we were younger, he's always been the kid you see now. I think it's just flourished and kind of grown from there."

Celebrini is tied for the rookie lead with 20 goals and ranks second with 48 points in 54 games.

"He's a dynamic player," Bedard said. "I know coming in as an 18-year-old is tough and, obviously, it's a good league, so I'm glad to see his production and his impact on games has been awesome. It's been fun to watch."

Bedard has notched 52 points in 65 games this season. He won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie in 2024.