It’s the way that Mack wants to win, so desperately, because he never has. In his short but impressive career so far, if there was a team trophy or gold medal to be won, Mack has never won it.
The Chicago Steel lost in the first round of the USHL Clark Cup Playoffs during the 2022-23 season. While playing for Boston University for the 2023-24 season, Mack had a chance to win three team titles. BU lost to Northeastern in the 2024 Beanpot Final, then they lost to Boston College in the 2024 Hockey East Conference Championship, and finally, BU lost to Denver in the 2024 NCAA D1 Frozen Four semifinals.
Representing Canada in five international tournaments, Mack has won a medal twice: Bronze at the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship and Silver at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games.
He’s the only North American first overall pick in the NHL in the last decade without a gold medal representing his country. Six of the last ten first overall picks have won gold: four Canadians and two Americans. Mack is the only Canadian of the bunch without a gold medal to his name. The other three without a gold medal are from Slovakia, Sweden, and Switzerland respectively.
Including USHL, NCAA, and representing Canada internationally, Mack has played in nine tournaments for either a team championship trophy or a gold medal. Despite his best efforts, he has not won any of them.
—Macklin Celebrini, the boy who has never won