Profile Text
Birth Name: Macklin Richard Celebrini
Place of Birth: North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Date of Birth: June 13, 2006
Ethnicity: Croatian (paternal grandfather), Belgian Flemish, French-Canadian, English, Scottish, Irish
Macklin Celebrini is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. A centre, he plays for, and is alternate captain of, the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL); and is with the Canada national team. He was the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, where he was selected by the Sharks.
He is the son of Robyn and Rick Celebrini, who was a soccer player, and is the director of sports medicine and performance for professional basketball team Golden State Warriors. His brother, Aiden Celebrini, is also an ice hockey player. He has cousins who play for the Croatian national soccer team.
Macklin’s paternal grandfather was named Anton/Anthony/Tony Celebrini (the son of Federico/Miro Celebrini and Maria/Marija). Anton was born in Porat, near Malinska, then Yugoslavia, now Croatia. Many Croatians in the area changed their names to Italian-sounding ones over time. Miro was born in Porat, the son of Antonino Celebrini and Kate Fabijanić. Antonino was the son of Giovanni Andrea Celebrini and Mare Gržetić. Kate was the daughter of Tommaso Giorgio Fabijanić and Petronilla Katarina Cattarinich. Macklin’s great-grandmother Marija was born in Porat.
Macklin’s paternal grandmother was Joan Buydens (the son of Geo/George Buydens and Madeleine Verniest). Joan was from Winnipeg. Madeleine was the daughter of Jules Verniest and Malvina De Vlieger.
Macklin’s maternal grandfather is named Joseph Dunn.
Macklin’s maternal grandmother is Sandra Williston (the daughter of Ray Gillis Williston and Gladys Edna McInnes). Ray was born in Victoria, British Columbia, and was an educator and political figure, who was a Social Credit Party politician; in BC, he was Minister of Education, from 1954 to 1956, Minister of Lands and Forests, from 1956 to 1962, and Minister of Lands, Forests and Water Resources, from 1962 to 1972. He oversaw the building of the Peace River Power Project. The reservoir Williston Lake was named after him. Macklin’s great-grandfather Ray was the son of Hubert Haines Williston, whose paternal grandmother was born in Ireland; and of Islay McCalman, whose paternal grandparents were Scottish, and whose mother was born in Bridgwater, Somerset, England.
Macklin’s great-grandmother Gladys was born in Langley, British Columbia, the daughter of Fergus Neil MacInnes, whose ancestors were recent Scottish immigrants; and of Doris Nellie Boardman, whose mother was from Hertfordshire, England.
Sources: https://www.nytimes.com https://www.nytimes.com
Obituary of Macklin’s paternal grandfather, Anton/Anthony Celebrini – https://www.dignitymemorial.com
Obituary of Macklin’s paternal great-grandfather, Geo/George Buydens – https://passages.brandonsun.com
Obituary of Macklin’s maternal great-uncle (grandmother’s brother) – https://www.asacredchoice.com
Obituary of Macklin’s maternal great-grandfather, Ray Gillis Williston – https://vancouversunandprovince.remembering.ca