Sharks phenom Macklin Celebrini takes step toward return

Macklin Celebrini is back on the ice, but it remains unclear when he’ll be able to return to game action.

Celebrini took a whirl before the San Jose Sharks‘ morning skate on Thursday, with the team saying this year’s first-overall pick has been cleared to take part in team activities.

“As part of his rehabilitation plan, Macklin will return to team activities today,” Sharks GM Mike Grier said in a statement, per Max Miller of the Hockey News. “He has made positive progress over the past several weeks and this will be the next step toward returning to the active roster. We will continue to monitor his progress but no date has yet been set for his return to game action.”

Celebrini had a goal and an assist in the team’s season opener before he was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

The team said on Oct. 21 he was considered week-to-week and that he would be re-evaluated in two weeks.

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, and 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.

— With files from the Associated Press