Macklin Celebrini stayed on the ice so long after Thursday's morning skate in St. Louis that he told the Sharks to leave without him, and fans can't stop talking about it.
It was his first time back on the ice since getting hurt. When he was told the bus was leaving, his answer was simple: "Go ahead, I'll get an Uber."
He then stayed out for another 10 minutes. That's a 20-year-old captain who clearly wants back in the lineup badly.
It also hints at where the injury stands. Players who are far from returning don't usually spend extra time pushing themselves on the ice.
Celebrini is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. He's missed two games after skating in warmups in Dallas and sitting again in St. Louis.
"If we're being real, I would have played," he said Friday. "It killed me not to."
Ryan Warsofsky's Sharks wait on their captain before facing Edmonton
Warsofsky called his status for Saturday's game against the Oilers a "game-time decision." The Sharks are 3-1-0 after a 3-2 overtime win in St. Louis.
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Celebrini had five assists in his first two games before the injury. A return against Connor McDavid would make for a must-watch afternoon in San Jose.
This is exactly the kind of captain the Sharks need. A player who skips the team bus to put in extra work sets a standard the rest of the room will notice.
It's like a student staying after class to finish an exam nobody is grading. The effort says everything.
The Sharks still need to be smart. Wanting to play and being ready to play aren't always the same thing, and Celebrini already admitted he listened to the trainers.
The Uber story will live on in San Jose. Whether it ends with him in the lineup against the Oilers is the next chapter.
Will Macklin Celebrini return against the Oilers on Saturday?
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