Macklin Celebrini from San Jose Sharks meets the survivor of Cancer Luke Schumann

San Jose – The day started with Macklin Celebrini by simply passing the washer to one of his biggest fans, Luke Schumann, while they were skating along the ice together at the San Jose Sharks training center.

It ended with celebrations, literally, because the recruit feeling of Sharks showed that Schumann, a survivor of 5 -year -old cancer, how to mount his stick along the ice. Then, after he went down with a close shot that beat one of the guards of San Jose, Luke patinated, fell to one knee and slipped along the ice.

“We were building a certain chemistry,” said Celebrini about Schumann, whose family lives in Lakeville, Minnesota. “So I hope that when he aged, we can play together here.”

A few days after his fifth anniversary, Luke was diagnosed with a rare form of Hodgkin lymphoma (predominant Hodgkin nodular lymphocyte). His parents, John and Lindsey, discovered a bump under his armpits on May 14, 2024, one day before being 5 years old, and Luke quickly had to undergo surgery to remove the tumor, followed by chemotherapy treatments throughout the summer.

“This is the telephone call that nobody wants to get, even less with one of your children,” said John Schumann, who credited Minnesota to Minnesota in Minneapolis for their care and their treatment. “When we received this phone call for the first time, you are in shock. But they put a great plan, and it was the best of the worst news, if you can, because they had some children (with) this form of cancer, so they had a good formula in place.”

Luke finished his chemotherapy in September and has since been declared without cancer, with monitoring computed tomography and blood tests to ensure that the disease has not returned.

“We are so blessed that he is without cancer,” said John.

While Luke had undergone chemotherapy, his doctor told his parents that the Make-A-Wish Foundation could offer their son an unforgettable experience. Luke had been a fan of the Sharks shortly after starting to play hockey when his parents bought her socks with the team’s logo. He then started following Celebrini last year.

One of John Schumann’s colleagues is Ryan Duncan, who won the Hobey Baker prize as the best university hockey player in 2007 in the second year in Northern Dakota. During the presentation of the Hobey Baker Award from last year to St. Paul, Minnesota, where Celebrini became the youngest winner of the prize, Duncan received a signed washer of the next global selection n ° 1 and gave it to Luke.

“It’s a bit when it started for Luke,” said John Schumann. “Here is a kid Celebrini Macklin, he’s a young guy, so it’s a bit where it started.”

Luke’s brothers and sisters are also part of this experience. His sister, Ellie, 10, and her brother, Ryan, 8, patinated the Sharks on Friday during the tour of the establishment and the train with the players and the coaches.

On Saturday, before the Sharks played Seattle Kraken, the Schumann family’s route included being recovered in their downtown hotel by Celebrini and led to the game, visiting the SAP center and reading the departure range of the Sharks to the players in their locker room.

Luke will also hold behind the Sharks bench for the national anthem, in height of the players before taking the ice and putting up the Zamboni during the first intermission.

“First class by Sharks,” said John Schumann. “To allow our whole family, because the children were greatly affected last summer and what he experienced. So super cool. “

Celebrini and the Sharks may have had as much fun on Friday as the family did as on the ice, there were not many moments of well-being for the team this season. It changed this weekend.

“I think you saw all the guys smiling, having a good time,” said Celebrini. “It brings a little joy and perspective to our group.”

“Cancer is a difficult thing to go through for anyone, regardless of your age,” said Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky. “I hit home for myself. I have a five -year -old child. Luke is 5 years old, and that upsets your life. He is a hard child, and it puts life in perspective for me and our players. He helped us today. As much as we helped him, he helped us. ”

He also underlines how much Celebrini, another two months of his 19th birthday, has become, even in the emerging stages of his career. Luke started watching Celebrini last year when the University of Boston participated in the four frosts.

“He understands what has just been the overall choice n ° 1, to be in a way the face of this franchise at such a young age is absolutely remarkable,” said Warsofsky. “To be 18, he knows how it affects (Luke). Give a lot of credit to Mack for doing this and being the person he is. ”

It was not at all a problem for Celebrini, because Luke and he developed a certain chemistry.

“I can say that he likes hockey and is obviously a big fan of Sharks,” said Celebrini about Luke. “It is great that he knows in a way who I am, and we were able to do it.”

Originally published: April 5, 2025 at 3:45 p.m.