Cale Makar

Biography

Cale Makar is set to make his Olympic debut at Milano Cortina 2026.

Makar helped Canada win the Four Nations Face-Off in 2025, the first time he played in a senior international tournament. His lone point of the tournament was an assist on Connor McDavid’s overtime winner in the final against Team USA.

He had previously suited up for Canada at the 2018 IIHF World Junior (U20) Championship where he was part of the gold medal-winning team. With three goals and five assists, Makar was the tournament’s highest scoring defenceman, earning him a spot on the All-Tournament team.

Makar was selected fourth overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. He played the next two seasons with the University of Massachusetts Minutemen before joining the Avalanche for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2019. He became the first defenceman to ever make his NHL debut in the postseason and score a goal.

Makar played his first full NHL season in 2019-20 and won the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year. He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league’s best defenceman in 2021-22 after being a finalist for the award the season before. He won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022 and earned the Conn Smythe Award as the MVP of the playoffs.