Nathan MacKinnon

TAMPA, Fla. — Nathan MacKinnon fell to the ice as the time on the clock ran out and he hugged his long time teammate and friend, Erik Johnson.

This year, MacKinnon took on a new role, while still being the Avalanche's offensive workhorse. And for MacKinnon, he's cemented his legacy as one of hockey's greatest, finally hoisting the Cup. This playoffs, for me, was a little bit of a coming out party because what I think that he learned — and I'll have to talk to him more about it — is he didn't have to just rack up points to be successful.

Though it had been more than two decades since the Colorado Avalanche won a Stanley Cup, the past th...

"You bring in a guy like Jack Johnson who hasn't won, and [Andrew] Cogliano comes in, and these older guys who have been around a long time and now have their opportunity to win their first cup. "It feels great, it's amazing," he said. It's been an amazing ride, and I'm just grateful that I've been able to be a part of it with this team." it's just amazing, I don't have any more words." It's just surreal, amazing." "They've been here so many years, the ups and downs.

MacKinnon led the Avalanche with 13 goals in this year's playoffs, also adding 11 assists and contributing a key goal and assist in the deciding Game 6. Just ...

I have my name engraved on the Cup with 87, my idol, along with all the best players to ever play this game. "It’s unbelievable. It means everything."

An emotional Nathan MacKinnon goes through all of his emotions with Emily Kaplan after the Avalanche clinch the Stanley Cup. WHEN DEFENSEMAN JOSH MANSON was ...

But I think the mindset is a bit more even-keeled, a lot more positive," he said. "There's a little bit more inner confidence in what he can accomplish over the years and what our team can accomplish if he plays his role to the best of his ability. "I think one of the areas where he's grown this year is he hasn't put so much ... I feel like he's more relaxed in our team game. So it wasn't just me, it was all the guys," he said. "But I feel like this team, we're so set in trying to do our best and play our successful style." "I read the first paragraph of it on Instagram and I'm like, 'I can't read this.' Like, he compared me to MJ. I'm like, "Dude, you're such a donkey,'" MacKinnon said. I'm still trying to figure it out and I'm sure he is too." And I am going to hold myself accountable and hold everyone else accountable to make sure it never happens again.'" "I feel like all of that stuff was taken way out of proportion," he said. He's a guy that pushes other people to become better, and I'm a guy that likes to think I'm trying to make people around me better as well." I don't see that as a problem," said Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who played with MacKinnon for two seasons before leaving for the Lightning last summer. "I think what makes him this good is hypercompetitiveness," said former Avalanche defenseman Ian Cole, now a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. "Even in practice.

Nathan MacKinnon's playoffs last season ended in frustrating fashion. After a second-round loss to the Golden Knights, MacKinnon didn't hold back, ...

MacKinnon was a critical part of the team's success in both the regular season and the playoffs. Colorado suffered a first-round loss in 2018, then finally, MacKinnon won his first series when the Avs upset the Flames in 2019. MacKinnon had 25 points in 15 games during the 2020 playoffs.