For the first time in the franchise’s history, EA Sports has chosen a Vancouver-born player as the cover athlete for their video game.

On Tuesday, EA Sports announced that North Vancouver’s Macklin Celebrini is the cover athlete for NHL 27.

Celebrini, 20, was the first-overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks. He made the leap to the NHL immediately after being drafted, scoring 25 goals and 38 assists for 63 points in 70 games during his rookie year. Although nominated for the Calder Trophy, Celebrini’s point totals were not enough to capture rookie of the year honours, falling third to Montreal Canadiens defenceman Lane Hutson and Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf.

In year two, Celebrini took a massive step forward in his development. He finished the season with 45 goals and 70 assists for 115 points in 82 games, setting the Sharks franchise record for single-season points. His 115 points were good for fourth in league scoring, trailing only Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov, and Nathan MacKinnon. Celebrini’s efforts earned him fourth place in the Hart Trophy as league MVP, and he was a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award for most outstanding player, voted on by his peers.

On top of his historic campaign in the NHL, Celebrini was named to Canada’s Olympic men’s hockey team, and played a pivotal role on McDavid’s wing. In six games wearing the maple leaf on his sweater, Celebrini scored five goals and five assists for 10 points. After the Sharks’ season ended, Celebrini represented Canada again at the World Championships, where he wore the ‘C’ on his jersey. There, he scored six goals and eight assists for 14 points in 10 games.

Celebrini becomes only the third ever BC native to be named an EA Sports NHL cover athlete. Andy Moog, a Penticton, BC native for NHL ’94, and Steve Yzerman, a Cranbrook, BC native for NHL 96. Vancouver Canucks have had two representatives as the cover athletes for EA Sports NHL: Markus Naslund for NHL 2005 and Quinn Hughes, along with his brothers Jack and Luke, for NHL 25.