The Canadian men’s ice hockey team finally had a shot at bringing a 10th gold medal at the Winter Olympics. It was right there. But it slipped away. Team USA took control, and Macklin Celebrini’s side had to settle for silver. Yet there’s a lot to learn from the failure. This sting might spark something bigger, just as his father, Rick Celebrini, believes.

The former soccer player currently serves as the director of sports medicine and performance for the Golden State Warriors. He spoke to the media on Friday about his son’s gold medal loss and how the younger Celebrini handled the loss. “Macklin handled it the way I expected him, and he was inconsolable after the game. He was upset at himself and upset at the results,” Rick said.

Now, Macklin has grown up as a fan of his hometown team, the Vancouver Canucks. They’ve never won a Stanley Cup. Moreover, the Canadian sensation, Steve Nash, the two-time NBA MVP, has never known what it feels like to hold the Larry O’Brien trophy. At the same time, Celebrini has closely watched Stephen Curry throughout the highs and lows of his career. All of this has an impact.

“I think what it does is it demystifies it, makes it more human and not so superhuman. And allows for one of the things I kept trying to remind them of, at the end of the day, it’s still just hockey,” Rick Celebrini explained to the media about Curry’s impact on his son.

“Of course, the stage is different, there are lights and cameras, and other contextual things change the appearance of it, but in its most fundamental sense, it’s still just plain hockey,” he added. Therefore, looking at Macklin Celebrini’s environment, setbacks make one stronger. And his Milano Cortina disappointment can now become a powerful motivator for future success. “About four years from now, that will be part of additional motivation to prepare, to be ready, and to hopefully influence a different outcome,” Rick Celebrini added.

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Now, Stephen Curry’s career graph hasn’t been linear, to say the least. If we talk about the Olympics, then the 37-year-old had to wait for years to debut. Injuries and personal priorities came in his way until 2024. He saw it as his last realistic shot and joined a star-studded Team USA roster. Steph Curry, too, wanted to experience winning the gold like his teammates Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. Meanwhile, in the NBA, despite 4 championship and two MVPs, Curry’s journey has been tumultuous lately.

He is currently recovering from runner’s knee and hasn’t played a single game since January 30. Curry was going to return after the All-Star break; however, the team announced on Feb 19 that their superstar was going to be reevaluated in 10 days. ESPN’s Marc J. Spears reported, “Well, I heard around All-Star weekend he had a setback. He was trying to work out and get back, and it pushed him back.”

Amidst the setback, Celebrini didn’t mince words while talking about being an empath towards Team USA, who ended their 40-year goldless drought in his event. Not very Steph Curry-like, but that’s just a star who lost his chance at standing on the top step of the podium at the highest level.

Macklin Celebrini crushes the question on empathy for Team USA

NHL players have returned from the Olympic break and rejoined their teams. The 2026 Winter Olympics highlighted the league’s top talent, and Macklin Celebrini stole the spotlight. Now back with the San Jose Sharks, he faced a question about Team USA, who have not won gold since 1980, in a video posted by user ‘poutingthrough’ on X. “No. No. I mean… no! no,” Celebrini said, shaking his head.

Despite his standout performance, the 19-year-old had a hint of frustration in his voice. “We didn’t win, so it’s bitter. It’s sour that we didn’t win and we came that close, especially everything that we fought through. But I mean, [we] can’t change it now,” Macklin Celebrini added.

Well, Macklin Celebrini may have returned with silver, but the fire is just beginning. Frustration lingers, yet every loss sharpens him. Surrounded by legends, inspired by Stephen Curry, and fueled by setbacks, he is learning to turn bitterness into power. The Milano Cortina disappointment isn’t the end. It’s the first chapter of a story that will demand gold next time.