CO Avalanche Cale Makar Autograph

2022 Stanley Cup MVP Player in 2022, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Cale Douglas Makar (born October 30, 1998) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman and alternate captain for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected with the fourth overall pick by the Avalanche in the 2017 NHL entry draft.

After two seasons in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) with the UMass Minutemen, Makar debuted in the NHL during the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. Playing his first full season in 2019-20, he made an immediate impact and won the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year. In his second professional season he was nominated for the James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded to the league's best defenseman, and won the Norris in the following 2021-22 season; he later won a second Norris in the 2024-25 season, in his fifth nomination. Makar won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the 2022 playoffs. He has been widely cited as one of the best defensemen and best players in the modern NHL.

Internationally, Makar has played for Canada junior team, winning gold at the 2018 World Junior Championships.