Cale Makar

We're talking about Colorado's (-115) Norris Trophy defenseman and their inarguable best player. That same incomparable player who is now the official winner of ...

He was their catalyst when the Avalanche finished first in the Central Division and the Western Conference during the regular season. Makar is the youngest defenseman to win the Conn Smythe in over five decades, with Orr first winning it at age 22 during the 1970 Stanley Cup Final. Makar is the first unanimous winner of the Conn Smythe Makar’s 29 points are the fourth-highest ever by any NHL defenseman in postseason history.

Cale Makar joined select company as the Colorado Avalanche lifted the Stanley Cup for the third time. Makar was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most.

Cale Makar (@Cmakar8), just WOW — add a Conn Smythe Trophy to your cabinet. ALL HAIL CALE!! 🥇

Cale Makar (@Cmakar8) is this year's Conn Smythe Trophy winner! To say Makar has a bright future is stating the obvious. Makar is less than a week removed from lifting the Norris Trophy to cement his status as the NHL's top defenseman. Only three other defensemen (Paul Coffey, Brian Leetch and Al MacInnis) have finished with more points in a single postseason run. Makar was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Cale Makar has won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after leading the Colorado Avalanche to their first Stanley...

“He’s an amazing player,” Edmonton defenseman Tyson Barrie said in the middle of the Avalanche sweeping the Oilers in the Western Conference final. After watching Tampa Bay players block so many attempts, Bednar recalled adjustments Makar made earlier in the playoffs and never lost faith in the young defenseman’s ability to make a difference. “For young defenseman that can be a little bit of a struggle, and once you start getting on it early and working on it, then your game starts to take a turn,” Makar said before the final. Makar cared so much about shoring up those weaknesses that he went back to college for a second season before making his NHL debut for Colorado in the 2019 playoffs. I just felt like at the Olympics I wouldn’t get that same experience, that they’d maybe just use me for my strengths rather than allowing me to work on my weaknesses.” He follows Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning, the back-to-back defending champions eliminated by Colorado in the Stanley Cup Final on Sunday night.

Avalanche's Cale Makar voted Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP: Makar recorded 29 points in 20 playoff games to help the franchise win the Cup.

Makar has been an NHL player for only three seasons but made such an impact on the Avalanche. He stepped in from playing college hockey to immediately becoming one of the team’s best players. Cale Makar began the week by winning the 2021-22 Norris Trophy, given to the NHL’s best defenseman. The Avalanche defenseman received all 18 first-place votes to claim the award.

Makar becomes the third defenseman to win both the Norris Trophy and the Cup MVP award in the same season.

He threw his gloves and stick in the air once the final seconds ticked off, celebrated with teammates, then embraced Logan O’Connor as the pair slid across the ice in a long embrace. Makar grinned and pumped the Cup when he gripped it for the first time after the Conn Smythe ceremony. Then, as the celebration continued, Gary hoisted the Cup above his head before handing it back to his son. Makar’s trajectory to this point started when the Avalanche signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract following two seasons at UMass. He instantly became a constant on their defensive pairings by appearing in 101 games his first two seasons before breaking out this year. And at the center was Makar, their first-round draft pick in 2017, who glided away from his teammates at the blue line and toward the Conn Smythe Trophy. They had just defeated the Lightning 2-1 to claim the Stanley Cup. Makar had already pulled the gray and white championship hat over his head.

Cale Makar has won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after leading the Colorado Avalanche to their first Stanley Cup title since 2001 and third in ...

“He’s an amazing player,” Edmonton defenseman Tyson Barrie said in the middle of the Avalanche sweeping the Oilers in the Western Conference final. “For young defenseman that can be a little bit of a struggle, and once you start getting on it early and working on it, then your game starts to take a turn,” Makar said before the final. After watching Tampa Bay players block so many attempts, Bednar recalled adjustments Makar made earlier in the playoffs and never lost faith in the young defenseman’s ability to make a difference. Makar cared so much about shoring up those weaknesses that he went back to college for a second season before making his NHL debut for Colorado in the 2019 playoffs. I just felt like at the Olympics I wouldn’t get that same experience, that they’d maybe just use me for my strengths rather than allowing me to work on my weaknesses.” He follows Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning, the back-to-back defending champions eliminated by Colorado in the Stanley Cup Final on Sunday night.

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy on Sunday night after Colorado won the Stanley ...

"We’ve seen him play this way from Day 1 of the season," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. Makar finished with 29 points – 21 assists and eight goals – in 20 postseason games. He also won the Norris Trophy earlier this month as the NHL’s best defenseman and was a Calder Memorial Trophy winner as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year.

Makar, 23, is the youngest defenseman to win the award since Bobby Orr.

Makar spent two seasons at UMass and won the 2019 Hobey Baker Award for college hockey’s best player. Quick also won the Conn Smythe. He had 28 goals and 58 assists during the regular season. “I’m so proud of the boys.” “You grow up and see that thing as a kid and have pictures of it on your wall,” Makar said. We’re so lucky to have him on our team.”

Makar was named the Stanley Cup playoffs' most valuable player Sunday after scoring 29 points in 20 games for the champion Avalanche.

“Very quiet, humble kid, but just a salt of the earth person,” Jake Gaudet, one of Makar’s college teammates, said in an interview earlier this season. Hours after he and his UMass teammates lost in the 2019 NCAA championship game, he signed with Colorado. The next morning, he was on a flight to Denver, and a day later he suited up for a playoff game against his hometown Calgary Flames. In the first period, he joined the offensive rush, took a pass from MacKinnon and scored from the offensive-zone faceoff circle. Makar’s arrival came at the right time for both him and Colorado, but the Avalanche actually wanted him to turn pro a year earlier. Makar scored 28 regular-season goals, including a highlight-reel, ankle-breaking overtime winner in Chicago and a coast-to-coast tally in Philadelphia. Josi and the Predators had the task of trying to slow down Makar in the first round. The rosy-cheeked, youthful-looking Makar mostly shies away from praise, deflecting it toward his teammates. In June 2019, before Makar had even played a regular-season NHL game, they shipped Barrie to Toronto in a deal for Nazem Kadri, another Avalanche postseason hero. “He was super impressive right from the get-go. The defenseman logged 10 points in four games against Nashville and scored an overtime winner in Game 2. Makar didn’t have a banner day in the clinching Game 6, committing a penalty and making a costly turnover, but he still finished the series with three goals and seven points, cracking the top 10 for most points in a Stanley Cup Final by a defenseman. And finally, receiving the Conn Smythe Trophy, on which his name will soon be engraved. “Find a Cale Makar somewhere,” he replied.

The New Jersey Devils had a chance to add Cale Makar in the NHL Draft when they had the first-overall pick in 2017. Nico Hischier still wasn't a bad pick.

Would it be worth it to have one of the best players in the world on the team now? Here’s the point, Cale Makar is a much better player than Nico Hischier, but the Devils aren’t necessarily in better shape with him on the roster in the long run. So, the Devils likely finish the NHL Draft Lottery without Jack Hughes. That might not be the worst thing in the world (if they took Moritz Seider or Trevor Zegras) but it likely is devastating (Kirby Dach, Dylan Cozens, and Matthew Boldy are the types of names we’re really talking about here). Then there’s the point that Makar’s presence on the 2018-19 Devils likely helps them slightly in the standings, even though his development might not be where it was. Would it be enough to change the Devils from a bottom dweller to a playoff team? Maybe if they get Makar, they don’t trade for Sami Vatanen. Vatanen had a great season with the Devils after he was traded from the Anaheim Ducks in the middle of the season. Since then, the Devils have been near the bottom of the standings. If the Devils took Makar and Hall never has that season, then the injury-plagued 2018-19 completely tanks his value. The question now asks if Hall would be able to do what he did with Hischier if Adam Henrique or *gulp* Pavel Zacha was his center. Hall was happy, he regained his reputation as a great player, and he had a rookie center who was only going to get better. He said the rookie was a huge reason why he was able to score 39 goals and put up 93 points. This article is going to get shared a lot for the headline because the argument sounds insane.

The Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs, was on a podium beside them. This was a moment Taylor and Cale had dreamed about — the ...

He started the celebration Sunday night with his family, tears in their eyes as they embraced and took photos with the Stanley Cup on the ice. A lot of work to do on that front but it’s awesome to see the core group be able to experience this.” “It’s surreal,” Makar said of the pair of awards. His answer was direct: “Find a Cale Makar somewhere.”Avalanche’s journey to the top. The Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs, was on a podium beside them. This was a moment Taylor and Cale had dreamed about — the moment when Cale was a Stanley Cup champion and a breakout star, with his family was right by his side.

Cale Makar has won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after leading the Colorado Avalanche to their first Stanley Cup title since 2001 and third in ...

“He’s an amazing player,” Edmonton defenseman Tyson Barrie said in the middle of the Avalanche sweeping the Oilers in the Western Conference final. “For young defenseman that can be a little bit of a struggle, and once you start getting on it early and working on it, then your game starts to take a turn,” Makar said before the final. After watching Tampa Bay players block so many attempts, Bednar recalled adjustments Makar made earlier in the playoffs and never lost faith in the young defenseman’s ability to make a difference. Makar cared so much about shoring up those weaknesses that he went back to college for a second season before making his NHL debut for Colorado in the 2019 playoffs. I just felt like at the Olympics I wouldn’t get that same experience, that they’d maybe just use me for my strengths rather than allowing me to work on my weaknesses.” “We’ve seen him play this way from Day 1 of the season,” coach Jared Bednar said.