SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Macklin Celebrini had a goal and an assist hours after being selected to play for Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and the San Jose Sharks beat the Minnesota Wild 4–3 in a shootout Wednesday.
Celebrini and William Eklund scored for the Sharks in the tiebreaker, while Minnesota failed to convert on either of its two attempts. San Jose has won three straight following a three-game slide.
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Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) moves the puck while defended by San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) during overtime of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) celebrates with left wings Igor Chernyshov (92) and William Eklund (72) after scoring a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
San Jose Sharks left wing William Eklund, left, celebrates after scoring a goal in the shoot-out of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini celebrates after scoring in the shoot-out of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, left, scores against Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (30) in the shoot-out of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Igor Chernyshov had a goal and two assists, and Jeff Skinner also scored for the Sharks. The 19-year-old Celebrini got his 40th assist of the season, passing Mikko Rantanen for second-most in the NHL. Yaroslav Askarov finished with 20 saves.
Vladimir Tarasenko, Marcus Foligno and Mats Zuccarello scored for the Wild, who are 2-0-1 on their seven-game trip. Jesper Wallstedt stopped 25 shots.
Celebrini gave the Sharks a 3-1 lead with his 22nd goal at 4:16 of the third period. Foligno answered with his first of the season at 6:40, and the Wild tied it when Zuccarello scored unassisted at 8:47.
Tarasenko opened the scoring at 10:38 of the first period.
Chernyshov extended his goal streak to three games, scoring the equalizer 1:14 into the second. Skinner followed with a power-play goal at 16:47.
Wild: Visit the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night.
Sharks: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) moves the puck while defended by San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) during overtime of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) celebrates with left wings Igor Chernyshov (92) and William Eklund (72) after scoring a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
San Jose Sharks left wing William Eklund, left, celebrates after scoring a goal in the shoot-out of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini celebrates after scoring in the shoot-out of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, left, scores against Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (30) in the shoot-out of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Cam Ward has been sacked 55 times so far this season.
Yet, the No. 1 overall draft pick has been available for every game and taken every offensive snap during his rookie season for the Tennessee Titans.
On Sunday in Jacksonville, Ward will start his 17th game, giving the Titans the kind of stability at quarterback rarely seen over the past three decades.
How rare?
This will be just the seventh season a quarterback started every game since this franchise arrived in Tennessee in 1997.
Only Chicago and Cleveland have had fewer seasons with three each in that span in the NFL. Philadelphia is at seven with Jalen Hurts pushing that to eight if he starts Sunday.
Caleb Williams could make that four by starting with Chicago trying for the NFC's No. 2 seed.
“It’s something that I don’t take lightly because every time you step on the field you never know when it could be your last down,” Ward said Wednesday. “So I’m blessed ... it’s God and my O-line that’s keeping me healthy the entire way and I know they’re going to keep on doing it.”
Steve McNair started every game for the then-Tennessee Oilers in 1997 and 1998 and again in 2002 for the renamed Titans. Matt Hasselbeck started all 16 games in 2011, and Ryan Tannehill started every game in both 2020 and in 2021 when the NFL expanded to a 17-game regular season.
Ward is the franchise's first rookie quarterback to throw for at least 3,000 yards in a season. Left guard Peter Skoronski said they all know Ward has taken some hits and called it impressive that the quarterback has been on the field for every offensive snap.
“In the NFL, availability is critical,” Skoronski said. “So to have that, especially at your most important position, I think is huge. It speaks to his toughness, his mentality.”
Ward also has put together four straight games with two touchdown passes and hasn’t been picked off once in the past three. He now has 15 TDs with seven interceptions for a 1.3% interception rate, which would break Tannehill's team record of 1.5% in 2020 among qualifying quarterbacks.
The rookie's 537 pass attempts are second in franchise history only to Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Moon, who threw 655 in 1991 and 584 in 1990.
Better yet, Ward is why four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons keeps telling people he doesn't want to leave the Titans.
“I see the competitive nature, I see the growth as a rookie of Cam,” Simmons said. “I can see where he could take this franchise. So, I’m looking forward to continuing to end the season the right way and we’ll see how next year goes for us.”
New Orleans defensive end Chase Young also sees greatness ahead for Ward.
He sacked Ward last week and took the ball away for a touchdown. He also saw Ward just miss converting a fourth-and-10 while falling, flicking the ball to a teammate for a 17-yard completion that was wiped out by replay showing his knee touching the ground first.
“I ain’t gonna lie, he’s got a Mahomes feel to him when he’s out there," Young said. "Being able to extend plays while still having his eyes down the field. He’s a phenomenal young quarterback.”
Coaches have raved about Ward's work ethic since early this offseason. Wide receiver Chimere Dike, selected as a Pro Bowler as a return specialist last week, said Ward wanted to meet at 5 a.m. back in the spring. Dike said getting up that early wasn't easy. Ward wouldn't take no for an answer.
“Discomfort breeds growth," Dike said of the early sessions. "When you’re in an uncomfortable situation doing stuff that you don’t want to do, usually you know you get better from it.”
Ward now has four or five notebooks filled with information learned from playing 11 of the NFL's 12 stingiest defenses — two inside the AFC South in the Jaguars (12-4) and Houston.
Titans interim coach Mike McCoy says he's seen improvement each week from the rookie.
"It’s only going to make things easier for him moving forward,” McCoy said. “I think he’s done a great job week after week of learning and understanding what we’re trying to accomplish. He’s got a really bright future.”
AP Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow and AP Sports Writers Andrew Seligman and Dan Gelston contributed to this report.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) is tripped up by New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) on the last play of the game, in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Elic Ayomanor (5) celebrates his touchdown reception with quarterback Cam Ward (1) in the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward talks to reporters after an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) passes against the New Orleans Saints in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) walks off the field after an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
