A homecoming tonight for San Jose Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini. While the first overall pick in 2024 played a season with San Jose’s Jr. Sharks, he spent a good portion of his formative hockey years playing for the Vancouver Canucks. Tonight, Celebrini arrives in Rogers Arena to play in front of a large crowd of family and friends.
Celebrini’s return to Vancouver is the secondary storyline in British Columbia’s hockey scene. The first is the drama that seems to surround two of the Canucks’ top forwards. J.T. Miller recently returned from taking a mental break from hockey and the buzz amped up quickly. Many news outlets have reported that Elias Pettersson and Miller are butting heads, even though the two players say otherwise.
Pettersson was less than cordial with the media when asked about it.
"I don't know why people still try and make s**t up."
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 22, 2024
Elias Pettersson addresses the reported rift between him and J.T. Miller. pic.twitter.com/6DblnvHSlZ
Miller, on the other hand, was snarky in his response.
J.T. Miller is asked multiple questions surrounding his connection with Elias Pettersson.
— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) December 22, 2024
“You guys in a sense have created this thing…I can bring out Petey and we can do the interview together if that’ll make you guys happy.” #Canucks pic.twitter.com/TbWCsS2qnt
The Canucks are currently holding onto the first wild card spot in the Western Conference, but barely. Vancouver and the Calgary Flames have 39 points, but Vancouver Vancouver hasn’t done well in its last ten games. The team is 3-3-4 in the last ten. Vancouver’s most recent game was a 5-4 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators.
A loss to the lowly Sharks tonight will do little to quiet the rumors in Vancouver.
The last time these two teams played was on Nov. 2 in San Jose, when the Canucks won 3-2 in regulation. This is the second of four meetings between the two teams. They will play again on Feb. 6 in San Jose and then once more on April 14 in Vancouver.
Defenseman Quinn Hughes is the biggest scoring threat for the Canucks. He leads the team with 40 points in 33 games. Jake DeBrusk is the team’s top goal scorer with 15 goals in 33 games.
San Jose’s top defenseman, Jake Walman, will not be in the lineup tonight. He suffered a lower-body injury against the Edmonton Oilers and is considered day-to-day. The few days off for the Christmas holiday should give him some extra time to heal.
San Jose Sharks lines tonight
With Walman out, Henry Thrun will partner with Cody Ceci. It sounds like Yaroslav Askarov will be rewarded for his performance in Edmonton with a second straight start.
Here’s what San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng reports the lines will look like tonight.
#SJSharks lines this morning, no Walman:
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) December 23, 2024
Granlund-Celebrini-Toffoli
Eklund-Wennberg-Smith
Kovalenko-Kunin-Zetterlund
Goodrow-Sturm-Dellandrea
Thrun-Ceci
Ferraro-Liljegren
Mukhamadullin-Rutta
Forwards
Mikael Granlund – Macklin Celebrini – Tyler Toffoli
William Eklund – Alex Wennberg – Will Smith
Nikolai Kovalenko – Luke Kunin – Fabian Zetterlund
Barclay Goodrow – Nico Sturm – Ty Dellandrea
Defense
Henry Thrun – Cody Ceci
Mario Ferraro – Timothy Liljegren
Shakir Mukhamadullin – Jan Rutta
Goaltenders
Yaroslav Askarov
Alexandar Georgiev
Vancouver Canucks lines against the San Jose Sharks tonight
As for the Canucks, this is what Jeff Paterson reports the lines will look like tonight with Thatcher Demko in net.
#Canucks at practice today
— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) December 22, 2024
PDG-Miller-Boeser
DeBrusk-Pettersson-Höglander
Joshua-Suter-Garland
Heinen-Blueger-Sherwood
Extras: Sasson & Karlsson
(Brännström)-Myers
Soucy-Juulsen
Forbort-Desharnais
Forwards
Phil di Giuseppe – J.T. Miller – Brock Boeser
Jake DeBrusk – Elias Pettersson – Nils Hoglander
Dakota Joshua – Pius Suter – Conor Garland
Danton Heinen – Teddy Blueger – Kiefer Sherwood
Defense
Quinn Hughes – Tyler Myers
Carson Soucy – Noah Juulsen
Derek Forbort – Vincent Desharnais
Goaltenders
Thatcher Demko
Kevin Lankinen
How to watch San Jose Sharks at Vancouver Canucks Dec. 23, 2024
The puck drops at 6 p.m. PT at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Sharks fans can see the game on NBC Sports California. They can also listen on the Sharks Audio Network.
Canucks fans can watch the game on Amazon Prime Video or listen on Sportsnet 650.
Be sure to come back here at game time to talk about the Celebrini homecoming with the rest of the Sharks fans.
