WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.540 Imagine, just for a second, showing up to the 00:00:02.540 --> 00:00:05.580 very first day of a highly competitive new job. 00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:08.359 You walk into the building, you sit down at your 00:00:08.359 --> 00:00:12.300 desk, and within minutes, you execute a task 00:00:12.300 --> 00:00:14.619 that literally no one in the history of the company 00:00:14.619 --> 00:00:17.379 has ever accomplished. You just casually shatter 00:00:17.379 --> 00:00:19.760 a ceiling on day one. Right, exactly. You just 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:21.719 shatter it. It sounds like an impossible scenario, 00:00:21.899 --> 00:00:24.100 right? Like a slightly unbelievable movie script. 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:27.899 But that is exactly how Kial Makar started his 00:00:27.899 --> 00:00:29.940 professional hockey career. Which is still hard 00:00:29.940 --> 00:00:31.960 to wrap my head around, honestly. It really is. 00:00:32.100 --> 00:00:35.280 Welcome to today's Deep Dive. If you are a hardcore 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:37.859 ice hockey fan, or honestly, if you just love 00:00:37.859 --> 00:00:40.359 learning about generational sports talents who 00:00:40.359 --> 00:00:42.500 completely rewrite the rulebook, you are in the 00:00:42.500 --> 00:00:44.640 right place. Oh, for sure. Today, we are looking 00:00:44.640 --> 00:00:47.640 at a massive stack of sources. We've got scouting 00:00:47.640 --> 00:00:50.119 reports, game logs, and a comprehensive Wikipedia 00:00:50.119 --> 00:00:53.000 dossier detailing the life and career of Canadian 00:00:53.000 --> 00:00:59.159 ice hockey defense. There is a lot to cover. 00:00:59.399 --> 00:01:01.759 There is. Our mission for this deep dive is to 00:01:01.759 --> 00:01:05.140 unpack his rapid rise, his unprecedented stats, 00:01:05.420 --> 00:01:09.739 and the complex legacy of a player who is fundamentally 00:01:09.739 --> 00:01:12.519 changing how the defenseman position is played 00:01:12.519 --> 00:01:15.459 in the NHL. What's fascinating here is that McCarr's 00:01:15.459 --> 00:01:19.200 greatness isn't solely about raw athletic skill. 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:21.760 Yeah. I mean, we see incredibly skilled athletes 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:23.920 pass through the league every single decade. 00:01:24.120 --> 00:01:25.739 Yeah, the league is full of talent. Exactly. 00:01:25.959 --> 00:01:29.019 But with McCarr, it's this highly unconventional 00:01:29.019 --> 00:01:32.019 path he took to reach the NHL, combined with 00:01:32.019 --> 00:01:35.359 a truly unique blend of elite offensive production 00:01:35.359 --> 00:01:38.400 and pristine defensive mastery. He doesn't just 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:40.700 play the game. No, he dictates the pace of it 00:01:40.700 --> 00:01:43.400 entirely. To understand how he got to a place 00:01:43.400 --> 00:01:45.519 where he's drawing comparisons to the enduring 00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:47.700 legends of the sport, we really have to look 00:01:47.700 --> 00:01:49.920 at how he built his foundation, because the way 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:52.640 he constructed his career was anything but typical. 00:01:52.819 --> 00:01:54.640 OK, let's unpack this. We have to start at the 00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:56.819 beginning in his hometown of Calgary, Alberta. 00:01:57.310 --> 00:01:59.769 When you look at top tier Canadian hockey prospects, 00:02:00.109 --> 00:02:03.090 there is a very standard roadmap. You play minor 00:02:03.090 --> 00:02:05.709 hockey and then you get drafted into major junior 00:02:05.709 --> 00:02:08.870 specifically for players in the West, the Western 00:02:08.870 --> 00:02:10.969 Hockey League or the WHL. That's the established 00:02:10.969 --> 00:02:13.889 pipeline. Right. And McCarr was drafted by the 00:02:13.889 --> 00:02:17.469 WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers in 2013. But he doesn't 00:02:17.469 --> 00:02:20.360 go there. Instead, he takes a huge detour. He 00:02:20.360 --> 00:02:23.060 decides to play junior hockey with the Brooks 00:02:23.060 --> 00:02:25.259 Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, 00:02:25.479 --> 00:02:28.319 the AJHL. Which is a very interesting choice. 00:02:28.520 --> 00:02:31.180 It is. For those who might just be general sports 00:02:31.180 --> 00:02:34.439 fans, the AJHL is considered a noticeable step 00:02:34.439 --> 00:02:37.020 down in competition from the WHL. So you have 00:02:37.020 --> 00:02:39.699 this elite prospect deliberately choosing a league 00:02:39.699 --> 00:02:42.099 where the spotlight isn't nearly as bright. Yeah. 00:02:42.139 --> 00:02:44.139 But my question is, wasn't that an enormous risk? 00:02:44.199 --> 00:02:46.580 I mean, bypassing top tier competition usually 00:02:46.580 --> 00:02:49.629 tanks a player's draft stock, doesn't it? It 00:02:49.629 --> 00:02:51.909 is a massive risk. But if we connect this to 00:02:51.909 --> 00:02:54.569 the bigger picture, that specific decision is 00:02:54.569 --> 00:02:56.509 exactly what sets up his entire developmental 00:02:56.509 --> 00:02:59.370 trajectory. Well, the primary reason a player 00:02:59.370 --> 00:03:03.229 chooses a junior, a league like the AJHL over 00:03:03.229 --> 00:03:05.789 a major junior league, is to retain their NCAA 00:03:05.789 --> 00:03:09.270 college eligibility. Ah, right. Because of the 00:03:09.270 --> 00:03:12.409 amateur rules. Exactly. In the eyes of the NCAA, 00:03:12.789 --> 00:03:14.610 major junior leagues are technically considered 00:03:14.610 --> 00:03:17.349 professional because players receive small stipends 00:03:17.349 --> 00:03:19.689 for their living expenses. So if he played even 00:03:19.689 --> 00:03:22.330 one game? If McCart played a single game for 00:03:22.330 --> 00:03:24.770 the Medicine Hat Tigers, his dream of playing 00:03:24.770 --> 00:03:27.330 American college hockey would have evaporated 00:03:27.330 --> 00:03:30.330 instantly. Wow. By playing for the Brooks Bandits, 00:03:30.389 --> 00:03:33.030 he kept that door wide open. And he didn't just 00:03:33.030 --> 00:03:36.469 tread water there. He dominated the HHL. In the 00:03:36.469 --> 00:03:39.729 2016 -2017 season, he led all defensemen with 00:03:39.729 --> 00:03:42.729 75 points in 54 games. That's wild production 00:03:42.729 --> 00:03:45.090 for a defenseman. He won league MVP, the top 00:03:45.090 --> 00:03:47.129 defenseman award, and led the team to a championship. 00:03:47.449 --> 00:03:50.569 That sheer dominance validated his unconventional 00:03:50.569 --> 00:03:53.729 choice. The NHL certainly took notice because 00:03:53.729 --> 00:03:56.689 in 2017, the Colorado Avalanche drafted him fourth 00:03:56.689 --> 00:04:00.370 overall. Fourth overall out of the AJHL. Yes, 00:04:00.409 --> 00:04:02.689 that was a monumental moment. It made McCarr 00:04:02.689 --> 00:04:04.729 the highest drafted player ever to come straight 00:04:04.729 --> 00:04:07.319 out of the AJHL. Which is just staggering to 00:04:07.319 --> 00:04:10.259 consider. He bypasses the traditional powerhouse 00:04:10.259 --> 00:04:13.120 leagues, bets entirely on his own development 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:15.819 plan, and still goes forth overall. It really 00:04:15.819 --> 00:04:18.740 is unprecedented. But then he doubles down on 00:04:18.740 --> 00:04:21.329 doing things his own way. He gets drafted by 00:04:21.329 --> 00:04:24.110 the Avalanche, a franchise that is understandably 00:04:24.110 --> 00:04:26.009 eager to get him into their professional system, 00:04:26.230 --> 00:04:28.829 but he stays completely loyal to his college 00:04:28.829 --> 00:04:30.889 commitment. He doesn't rush it. No, he heads 00:04:30.889 --> 00:04:33.509 to the University of Massachusetts Amherst to 00:04:33.509 --> 00:04:37.490 play for the UMass Minutemen. At the time, UMass 00:04:37.490 --> 00:04:40.370 was a rebuilding program, not some perennial 00:04:40.370 --> 00:04:43.149 national powerhouse. He goes there to develop 00:04:43.149 --> 00:04:45.269 at his own pace. And that says a lot about his 00:04:45.269 --> 00:04:47.889 maturity. It does. And here is a detail from 00:04:47.889 --> 00:04:49.930 the sources that really underscores his mindset. 00:04:50.629 --> 00:04:52.689 Following his freshman year and after winning 00:04:52.689 --> 00:04:55.529 gold with Canada at the 2018 World Junior Championships, 00:04:56.009 --> 00:04:58.410 he is reportedly invited to join the Canadian 00:04:58.410 --> 00:05:01.310 senior team for the 2018 Winter Olympics. That 00:05:01.310 --> 00:05:03.889 is the dream for any Canadian kid. And he actually 00:05:03.889 --> 00:05:06.430 turns it down. He declines an Olympic invite 00:05:06.430 --> 00:05:08.449 because he didn't want to miss three weeks of 00:05:08.449 --> 00:05:11.589 UMass college games. That is unbelievable. Most 00:05:11.589 --> 00:05:13.850 19 -year -olds are prioritizing making it to 00:05:13.850 --> 00:05:16.189 a morning lecture on time, and he's turning down 00:05:16.189 --> 00:05:18.670 the Olympics to honor a commitment to his college 00:05:18.670 --> 00:05:21.500 program. It speaks volumes about his character 00:05:21.500 --> 00:05:23.920 and his long -term vision. Yeah. He understood 00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:26.740 that development isn't always a sprint to the 00:05:26.740 --> 00:05:28.600 biggest available stage. Right. He knew what 00:05:28.600 --> 00:05:31.000 he needed. He recognized that he needed the defensive 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:33.459 repetitions, he needed to physically mature, 00:05:33.819 --> 00:05:36.019 and he wanted to honor the commitment he made 00:05:36.019 --> 00:05:38.420 to his teammates and coaches. And that patience 00:05:38.420 --> 00:05:41.639 paid off. Spectacularly. Yeah. During his sophomore 00:05:41.639 --> 00:05:44.939 season, from 2018 to 2019, he led the Hockey 00:05:44.939 --> 00:05:47.660 East in scoring, was named a Unanimous Player 00:05:47.660 --> 00:05:50.519 of the Year, and pushed UMass all the way to 00:05:50.519 --> 00:05:53.360 the Frozen Four College Hockey's National Championship. 00:05:53.699 --> 00:05:56.139 An incredible run. To cap that collegiate career 00:05:56.139 --> 00:05:59.800 off, on April 12, 2019, he was awarded the Hobie 00:05:59.800 --> 00:06:02.420 Baker Award, given to the top player in NCAA 00:06:02.420 --> 00:06:04.980 men's ice hockey. I want to walk through the 00:06:04.980 --> 00:06:07.000 timeline of what happens next because it is a 00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:09.819 dizzying few days. On April 12, he wins the Hobie 00:06:09.819 --> 00:06:13.319 Baker. The very next night, April 13, UMass loses 00:06:13.319 --> 00:06:15.879 the National Championship game. A crushing defeat 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:18.490 for a college kid. It is, but he doesn't even 00:06:18.490 --> 00:06:21.509 have a moment to dwell on it. On April 14th, 00:06:21.529 --> 00:06:24.329 he signs his entry -level contract with the Colorado 00:06:24.329 --> 00:06:28.310 Avalanche. And on April 15th, he is thrown directly 00:06:28.310 --> 00:06:31.250 into the fire. Talk about a whirlwind. He makes 00:06:31.250 --> 00:06:34.209 his NHL debut in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup playoffs 00:06:34.209 --> 00:06:36.269 against the Calgary Flames. That is his hometown 00:06:36.269 --> 00:06:39.350 team. During the first period, he jumps onto 00:06:39.350 --> 00:06:41.790 the ice, takes his very first shot in the National 00:06:41.790 --> 00:06:45.110 Hockey League, and he scores. It genuinely feels 00:06:45.110 --> 00:06:47.730 like a Hollywood script. It's the most unbelievable 00:06:47.730 --> 00:06:50.870 96 hours you could ever script for a young athlete. 00:06:51.189 --> 00:06:53.529 But looking closely at the historical context 00:06:53.529 --> 00:06:56.529 of that sequence, by scoring that goal, McCarr 00:06:56.529 --> 00:06:58.829 became the first defenseman in the entire history 00:06:58.829 --> 00:07:01.949 of the NHL to score a playoff goal in his league 00:07:01.949 --> 00:07:04.709 debut. First in history. It wasn't just an avalanche 00:07:04.709 --> 00:07:06.649 franchise record. It was a league -wide first. 00:07:07.100 --> 00:07:09.740 It signaled to the hockey world that the Avalanche 00:07:09.740 --> 00:07:12.079 hadn't just drafted a competent player, they 00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:15.180 had drafted a generational phenom. And that momentum 00:07:15.180 --> 00:07:17.879 carried right into his first full rookie campaign 00:07:17.879 --> 00:07:21.579 in 2019 -2020. He arrived in that season and 00:07:21.579 --> 00:07:23.600 immediately set a new standard. He certainly 00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:27.459 did. He scored 12 goals, establishing a new Avalanche 00:07:27.459 --> 00:07:30.220 franchise record for a rookie defenseman. He 00:07:30.220 --> 00:07:33.899 recorded 50 points in just 57 games. He was leading 00:07:33.899 --> 00:07:36.019 all rookies in scoring at the time he suffered 00:07:36.019 --> 00:07:38.500 a brief injury, too. Exactly. And ultimately, 00:07:38.660 --> 00:07:41.399 he took home the Calder Memorial Trophy as the 00:07:41.399 --> 00:07:45.100 NHL's Rookie of the Year, beating out some incredibly 00:07:45.100 --> 00:07:47.699 fierce competition like Vancouver's Quinn Hughes. 00:07:47.980 --> 00:07:50.540 For that moment forward, he just starts systematically 00:07:50.540 --> 00:07:53.199 dismantling the record books. What stands out 00:07:53.199 --> 00:07:55.139 to you the most from those early records? The 00:07:55.139 --> 00:07:57.480 statistic from the sources that really highlights 00:07:57.480 --> 00:08:00.579 his early career pace is how quickly he reached 00:08:00.579 --> 00:08:04.199 the 200 -point milestone. McCarr became the fastest 00:08:04.199 --> 00:08:07.019 defenseman in NHL history to record 200 points, 00:08:07.300 --> 00:08:11.680 achieving it in just 195 games. Wow, 195 games. 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:14.459 He broke the previous record held by Hall of 00:08:14.459 --> 00:08:17.519 Famer Sergei Zubov, who took 207 games to hit 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:20.180 the same mark. That's a significant gap. When 00:08:20.180 --> 00:08:22.399 you are besting records held by players of Zubov's 00:08:22.399 --> 00:08:23.939 caliber, you aren't just having a productive 00:08:23.939 --> 00:08:26.959 start to your career. You are fundamentally redefining 00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:29.180 what is mathematically expected from a player 00:08:29.180 --> 00:08:31.160 at that position. Right, because historically, 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:33.600 defensemen weren't doing this. Historically, 00:08:33.620 --> 00:08:36.399 the evolution of the NHL defenseman has shifted 00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:39.639 from big, bruising shot blockers, whose sole 00:08:39.639 --> 00:08:41.940 job was to suppress the opposition's offense, 00:08:42.200 --> 00:08:45.519 to more agile playmakers. Mack Hart takes that 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:47.899 evolution to its extreme. He's like a rover out 00:08:47.899 --> 00:08:50.480 there. He utilizes incredible lateral mobility 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:53.500 and edge work. He has this unique ability to 00:08:53.500 --> 00:08:56.240 walk the blue line moving side to side along 00:08:56.240 --> 00:08:58.759 the offensive zone boundary to open up shooting 00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:01.840 lanes. He acts as the primary offensive engine 00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:04.740 for his team. Here's where it gets really interesting, 00:09:04.840 --> 00:09:06.779 though, because everything we've covered so far 00:09:06.779 --> 00:09:09.799 just serves as the prologue to the 2021 -2022 00:09:09.799 --> 00:09:12.679 season. If his rookie year was the introduction... 00:09:12.840 --> 00:09:15.340 The 21 -22 season was his coronation. Absolutely. 00:09:15.620 --> 00:09:18.340 He scores 28 goals as a defenseman. That broke 00:09:18.340 --> 00:09:20.460 the Avalanche's single -season record for a blue 00:09:20.460 --> 00:09:23.360 liner, and it was the most by any NHL defenseman 00:09:23.360 --> 00:09:25.220 since Brent Burns achieved it five years earlier. 00:09:25.399 --> 00:09:27.659 And he finishes the regular season with 86 points 00:09:27.659 --> 00:09:30.259 and wins the James Norris Memorial Trophy as 00:09:30.259 --> 00:09:32.399 the league's best defenseman. But the regular 00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:34.580 season was just setting the stage for the 2022 00:09:34.580 --> 00:09:37.879 Stanley Cup playoffs? The 2022 playoff run by 00:09:37.879 --> 00:09:40.279 the Colorado Avalanche remains one of the most 00:09:40.279 --> 00:09:42.980 dominant team performances in recent sports history, 00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:46.419 and Makar was the undeniable catalyst. They were 00:09:46.419 --> 00:09:48.980 an absolute wagon. In the opening round against 00:09:48.980 --> 00:09:51.500 the Nashville Predators, the Avalanche swept 00:09:51.500 --> 00:09:55.360 the series in four games. Makar recorded 10 points 00:09:55.360 --> 00:09:57.720 in those four games alone. That's two and a half 00:09:57.720 --> 00:10:00.039 points a game. Setting a new record for points 00:10:00.039 --> 00:10:02.120 by a defenseman in the first four games of a 00:10:02.120 --> 00:10:05.830 postseason. His impact was so pronounced that 00:10:05.830 --> 00:10:08.529 his teammate, superstar forward Nathan McKinnon, 00:10:08.570 --> 00:10:11.330 stated to the media during that run he might 00:10:11.330 --> 00:10:13.529 be the best player in the league right now. Notice 00:10:13.529 --> 00:10:16.090 the phrasing there. Not the best defenseman, 00:10:16.149 --> 00:10:18.370 but the best player in the entire National Hockey 00:10:18.370 --> 00:10:20.690 League. Exactly. And he backed up that claim 00:10:20.690 --> 00:10:23.210 round after round. The Avalanche defeated the 00:10:23.210 --> 00:10:26.149 St. Louis Blues, swept the Edmonton Oilers, and 00:10:26.149 --> 00:10:28.289 then took down the back -to -back defending champion 00:10:28.289 --> 00:10:31.110 Tampa Bay Lightning in the final to win the Stanley 00:10:31.110 --> 00:10:34.029 Cup. A truly historic run. Makar finished that 00:10:34.029 --> 00:10:36.690 postseason with a team -leading 29 points. To 00:10:36.690 --> 00:10:38.950 put that in perspective, that is the fourth most 00:10:38.950 --> 00:10:41.250 points by a defenseman in a single playoff run 00:10:41.250 --> 00:10:43.870 in NHL history. Naturally, he was awarded the 00:10:46.580 --> 00:10:49.980 So where does this put him historically? This 00:10:49.980 --> 00:10:52.139 raises an important question regarding his place 00:10:52.139 --> 00:10:55.340 in the pantheon of the sport. Winning the Norris 00:10:55.340 --> 00:10:58.340 Trophy as the best defenseman and the Conn Smythe 00:10:58.340 --> 00:11:02.360 as playoff MVP in the exact same season is an 00:11:02.360 --> 00:11:05.240 exceedingly rare feat. How rare are we talking? 00:11:05.480 --> 00:11:08.509 By accomplishing it... McCarr became only the 00:11:08.509 --> 00:11:11.610 third defenseman in NHL history to achieve that 00:11:11.610 --> 00:11:13.870 double honor in a single year. Only the third. 00:11:14.049 --> 00:11:16.269 The other two players on that list are Bobby 00:11:16.269 --> 00:11:19.049 Orr, who accomplished it twice in the early 1970s, 00:11:19.070 --> 00:11:22.730 and Nicholas Libstrom, who did it in 2002. Oh 00:11:22.730 --> 00:11:25.210 my goodness. Consider the gravity of those names. 00:11:25.610 --> 00:11:28.149 Bobby Orr is widely recognized as the player 00:11:28.149 --> 00:11:30.009 who revolutionized the offensive capabilities 00:11:30.009 --> 00:11:33.529 of the defenseman position decades ago. Nicholas 00:11:33.529 --> 00:11:35.730 Libstrom is often referred to as the perfect 00:11:35.730 --> 00:11:38.230 defenseman, securing seven Norris trophies in 00:11:38.230 --> 00:11:40.629 his career. And Makar joins him at 23 years old. 00:11:40.750 --> 00:11:43.529 That is the exclusive tier he entered. He vaulted 00:11:43.529 --> 00:11:45.909 past the status of a current elite player and 00:11:45.909 --> 00:11:48.000 entered the realm of the sports immortals. What 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:50.279 makes this deep dive particularly compelling, 00:11:50.500 --> 00:11:52.399 though, is that the sources don't just present 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:55.379 a flawless hockey robot. They highlight his character 00:11:55.379 --> 00:11:57.440 and examine the moments where the intensity of 00:11:57.440 --> 00:11:59.919 the sport led to complications, which really 00:11:59.919 --> 00:12:02.860 grounds him as a human being navigating a highly 00:12:02.860 --> 00:12:05.379 volatile game. That's a crucial part of his story. 00:12:05.559 --> 00:12:08.120 For example, there is a memorable story from 00:12:08.120 --> 00:12:11.580 December 2022. The Avalanche are playing the 00:12:11.580 --> 00:12:15.059 New York Islanders. Makar has the puck. He takes 00:12:15.059 --> 00:12:16.960 a spill near the boards and the referee blows 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:19.399 the whistle, calling a tripping penalty on the 00:12:19.399 --> 00:12:22.320 Islanders' Matthew Barzal. Right. A fairly standard 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:25.059 play. Standard hockey protocol dictates that 00:12:25.059 --> 00:12:26.820 you take the power play advantage and you head 00:12:26.820 --> 00:12:29.600 to the bench. But Makar skates over to the referee, 00:12:29.940 --> 00:12:33.080 shakes his head, and actively convinces the official 00:12:33.080 --> 00:12:35.539 to rescind the penalty. You never see that. Never. 00:12:35.799 --> 00:12:38.639 He explains that he simply lost an edge on his 00:12:38.639 --> 00:12:40.820 skate and fell on his own, clarifying that Barzal 00:12:40.820 --> 00:12:43.559 didn't trip him. Barzal later admitted he was 00:12:43.559 --> 00:12:45.440 stunned and wasn't sure he would have done the 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:48.179 same thing. It was a massive display of sportsmanship 00:12:48.179 --> 00:12:51.740 that quickly went viral across the sports world. 00:12:51.899 --> 00:12:54.700 It was a remarkable moment of integrity. It was. 00:12:55.019 --> 00:12:58.059 However, the dossier also provides a balanced 00:12:58.059 --> 00:13:00.980 narrative by detailing a significant blemish 00:13:00.980 --> 00:13:03.639 on his professional record, which occurred during 00:13:03.639 --> 00:13:06.919 the highly charged 2023 playoffs against the 00:13:06.919 --> 00:13:09.700 Seattle Kraken. Right. The McCann hit. During 00:13:09.700 --> 00:13:12.860 Game 4 of that series, McCarr delivered a hard 00:13:12.860 --> 00:13:16.679 late hit into the boards on Kraken forward Jared 00:13:16.679 --> 00:13:19.440 McCann. The puck had actually deflected out of 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:22.179 play into the upper netting, and McCann had relaxed 00:13:22.179 --> 00:13:24.980 his posture, anticipating the whistle. He wasn't 00:13:24.980 --> 00:13:27.179 expecting contact at all. McCarr delivered the 00:13:27.179 --> 00:13:29.740 hit anyway, resulting in an injury that removed 00:13:29.740 --> 00:13:32.879 McCann from the game. McCarr received a two -minute 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:35.259 interference penalty on the ice, but the next 00:13:35.259 --> 00:13:37.879 day, the NHL's Department of Player Safety handed 00:13:37.879 --> 00:13:40.299 him a one -game suspension. It marked the very 00:13:40.299 --> 00:13:42.860 first suspension and disciplinary offense of 00:13:42.860 --> 00:13:45.860 his entire career. Following the game, McCarr 00:13:45.860 --> 00:13:48.460 stated that he had no intention of injuring McCann, 00:13:48.580 --> 00:13:50.679 explaining that he genuinely wasn't sure if the 00:13:50.679 --> 00:13:52.379 puck was out of play because the arena was so 00:13:52.379 --> 00:13:54.299 loud he couldn't hear the whistle. But the league 00:13:54.299 --> 00:13:56.700 had a responsibility to act on a late hit. That 00:13:56.700 --> 00:13:59.379 is a vital part of his story, because it illustrates 00:13:59.379 --> 00:14:02.179 the razor -thin margin for error in high -stakes 00:14:02.179 --> 00:14:04.779 playoff hockey. The game moves at lightning speed, 00:14:05.080 --> 00:14:07.460 adrenaline is peaking, and split -second decisions 00:14:07.460 --> 00:14:11.519 have massive consequences. It demonstrates that 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:14.179 even a player celebrated globally for his profound 00:14:14.179 --> 00:14:17.159 sportsmanship can misjudge a play that results 00:14:17.159 --> 00:14:20.259 in a dangerous outcome. The Avalanche ultimately 00:14:20.259 --> 00:14:22.940 lost that series to the Kraken in seven games, 00:14:23.080 --> 00:14:25.580 making it a distinctly difficult chapter in his 00:14:25.580 --> 00:14:28.120 career. But I'm curious how a player of his caliber 00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:30.860 responds to that kind of adversity. Because he 00:14:30.860 --> 00:14:33.000 didn't shrink from the spotlight. Instead, he 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:35.120 recalibrated. He let his play do the talking. 00:14:35.240 --> 00:14:37.200 He focused on his on -ice production and let 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:39.080 his gameplay answer any lingering questions. 00:14:39.539 --> 00:14:42.000 He became the cover athlete for the EA Sports 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:45.879 NHL 24 video game, which is a massive cultural 00:14:45.879 --> 00:14:48.419 milestone for any player. A huge deal for the 00:14:48.419 --> 00:14:50.610 modern generation. And then we look at his recent 00:14:50.610 --> 00:14:54.590 2024 -2025 season. He hits an entirely new offensive 00:14:54.590 --> 00:14:57.710 stratosphere. He scores 30 goals. He is only 00:14:57.710 --> 00:15:00.450 the ninth defenseman in NHL history to ever reach 00:15:00.450 --> 00:15:03.049 30 goals in a season and just the second to do 00:15:03.049 --> 00:15:05.450 it in the post -lockout era. That is phenomenal 00:15:05.450 --> 00:15:08.250 production. He finishes the year with 92 points, 00:15:08.450 --> 00:15:10.490 earns a nomination for the Ted Lindsay Award 00:15:10.490 --> 00:15:12.830 as the most outstanding player voted by his peers, 00:15:13.070 --> 00:15:16.769 and on June 11th, 2025, he is awarded his second 00:15:16.769 --> 00:15:19.830 career Norris Trophy. The ability to continually 00:15:19.830 --> 00:15:22.990 elevate his game when the entire league is actively 00:15:22.990 --> 00:15:25.250 designing game plans specifically to shut him 00:15:25.250 --> 00:15:27.909 down is incredible. They all know he's the key, 00:15:27.990 --> 00:15:30.590 and they still can't stop him. And that individual 00:15:30.590 --> 00:15:33.370 dominance in the NHL naturally transitioned back 00:15:33.370 --> 00:15:36.049 onto the international stage. Remember, we discussed 00:15:36.049 --> 00:15:38.629 him turning down the 2018 Olympics to stay at 00:15:38.629 --> 00:15:41.490 UMass. Right. And NHL players were not permitted 00:15:41.490 --> 00:15:44.730 to participate in the 2022 Olympics. So despite 00:15:44.730 --> 00:15:47.269 being widely considered the best defenseman in 00:15:47.269 --> 00:15:49.509 the world, he hadn't represented Canada's senior 00:15:49.509 --> 00:15:51.769 team in a best -on -best international tournament 00:15:51.769 --> 00:15:54.509 until very recently. The anticipation for him 00:15:54.509 --> 00:15:57.129 to finally put on that Team Canada sweater was 00:15:57.129 --> 00:15:59.549 palpable. And that brings us right up to the 00:15:59.549 --> 00:16:02.450 recent international campaigns, the 2025 Four 00:16:02.450 --> 00:16:05.429 Nations Face -Off and the 2026 Winter Olympics. 00:16:05.649 --> 00:16:07.289 Let's look at the Four Nations tournament first. 00:16:07.509 --> 00:16:10.789 Right. In early 2025, he dealt with some adversity 00:16:10.789 --> 00:16:13.629 right away, missing a group stage game due to 00:16:13.629 --> 00:16:17.070 illness. But he rallies, returns for the highly 00:16:17.070 --> 00:16:19.570 anticipated final against the United States. 00:16:19.769 --> 00:16:22.149 And ends up providing the primary assist on Connor 00:16:22.149 --> 00:16:24.929 McDavid's overtime game -winning goal to secure 00:16:24.929 --> 00:16:27.350 the gold medal for Canada. Stepping up in that 00:16:27.350 --> 00:16:29.649 clutch moment was the perfect introduction to 00:16:29.649 --> 00:16:32.070 senior international hockey. It served as the 00:16:32.070 --> 00:16:34.909 perfect prelude to the 2026 Winter Olympics in 00:16:34.909 --> 00:16:37.350 Milano Cortina. The stakes for this tournament 00:16:37.350 --> 00:16:39.570 were incredibly high, as it marked the first 00:16:39.570 --> 00:16:41.769 time NHL players were back in the Olympics since 00:16:41.769 --> 00:16:45.169 2014. A huge moment for the sport. Makar was 00:16:45.169 --> 00:16:47.250 one of the first six players officially named 00:16:47.250 --> 00:16:49.529 to the Canadian roster, and he was selected to 00:16:49.529 --> 00:16:51.570 serve as an alternate captain, playing under 00:16:51.570 --> 00:16:54.009 the leadership of Captain Sidney Crosby. The 00:16:54.009 --> 00:16:56.269 tournament culminated in a dramatic, tension 00:16:56.269 --> 00:16:58.789 -filled gold medal match, once again featuring 00:16:58.789 --> 00:17:02.250 Canada against the United States. Makar was brilliant 00:17:02.250 --> 00:17:04.910 under pressure. He scored a crucial game -tying 00:17:04.910 --> 00:17:06.930 goal in the second period to keep Canada's hopes 00:17:06.930 --> 00:17:09.990 alive in a fiercely defensive battle. The atmosphere 00:17:09.990 --> 00:17:12.109 in that arena during the gold medal game was 00:17:12.109 --> 00:17:15.029 absolutely electric. Ultimately, the Americans 00:17:15.029 --> 00:17:17.869 managed to win it 2 -1 in overtime, meaning Canada 00:17:17.869 --> 00:17:20.289 took home the silver medal. But Matcar's individual 00:17:20.289 --> 00:17:22.710 brilliance throughout the tournament was undeniable. 00:17:22.910 --> 00:17:25.910 He tied the record for the most points by a Canadian 00:17:25.910 --> 00:17:28.670 defenseman in a single Olympic tournament featuring 00:17:28.670 --> 00:17:32.630 NHL players, registering six points. And he was 00:17:32.630 --> 00:17:35.430 rightfully recognized by being named to the Olympic 00:17:35.430 --> 00:17:37.769 all -star team. Whether he is skating in the 00:17:37.769 --> 00:17:42.710 AJHL, the NCAA, the NHL, or on Olympic ice. His 00:17:42.710 --> 00:17:45.130 production rate remains historically significant. 00:17:45.589 --> 00:17:48.089 everywhere he goes. So what does this all mean? 00:17:48.269 --> 00:17:50.410 We have gone through the statistics, the historic 00:17:50.410 --> 00:17:53.069 trophies, the incredible highs of a Stanley Cup 00:17:53.069 --> 00:17:56.309 run, and the complex realities of playing a violently 00:17:56.309 --> 00:17:59.089 fast sport. It's a massive body of work for someone 00:17:59.089 --> 00:18:01.190 his age. We're looking at a kid from Calgary 00:18:01.190 --> 00:18:04.309 who made a highly unusual calculated choice to 00:18:04.309 --> 00:18:07.390 play junior, a hockey over major junior so he 00:18:07.390 --> 00:18:09.710 could preserve his path to college. He took his 00:18:09.710 --> 00:18:12.289 time. He respected his own developmental process. 00:18:12.589 --> 00:18:15.180 He didn't rush it. And he evolved into a record 00:18:15.180 --> 00:18:18.039 -shattering, Stanley Cup -winning, Olympic meddling 00:18:18.039 --> 00:18:21.559 phenomenon who has completely redefined the offensive 00:18:21.559 --> 00:18:24.339 capabilities of the defenseman position. I think 00:18:24.339 --> 00:18:26.240 what stands out the most and how this connects 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:28.900 directly to you, the listener, regardless of 00:18:28.900 --> 00:18:31.579 your profession or your passions, is his pacing. 00:18:32.500 --> 00:18:35.680 Makar's story is a masterclass in staying true 00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:37.859 to your own developmental timeline. That's a 00:18:37.859 --> 00:18:40.059 really great point. When the pressure was immense 00:18:40.059 --> 00:18:42.980 to jump to the WHL, he calculated the risk and 00:18:42.980 --> 00:18:45.940 said no. When the pressure was on to turn professional 00:18:45.940 --> 00:18:49.000 early or go to the Olympics as a teenager, he 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:51.480 chose to stay at UMass. He ran his own race. 00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:53.500 He didn't rush to the top just because the door 00:18:53.500 --> 00:18:55.819 was open. He built his foundation deliberately. 00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:59.160 It proves that sometimes taking the unconventional 00:18:59.160 --> 00:19:01.799 path, the one that might look like a step backwards 00:19:01.799 --> 00:19:04.880 or sideways to outside observers, is exactly 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:06.799 what you need to build the strongest possible 00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:10.880 foundation for long -term historic success. Betting 00:19:10.880 --> 00:19:13.140 on yourself and running your own race is a powerful 00:19:13.140 --> 00:19:15.240 takeaway, but I want to leave you with one final 00:19:15.240 --> 00:19:17.440 provocative thought to mull over today. Let's 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:19.779 hear it. We have spent this entire deep dive 00:19:19.779 --> 00:19:22.339 exploring how Kale McCarr has shown the world 00:19:22.339 --> 00:19:25.640 that a defenseman can drive an offense just as 00:19:25.640 --> 00:19:28.160 effectively, if not more so, than a top line 00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:31.480 forward. He has created the blueprint for the 00:19:31.480 --> 00:19:34.059 modern game. He certainly has. So think about 00:19:34.059 --> 00:19:36.839 the next generation. Think about the 8, 9, and 00:19:36.839 --> 00:19:39.059 10 -year -old kids who are lacing up their skates 00:19:39.059 --> 00:19:41.400 right now, who are growing up watching Makar 00:19:41.400 --> 00:19:45.000 execute flawless edge work and post record -breaking 00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:46.900 point streaks. They're all trying to be him. 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:50.099 Exactly. How will that next generation of hockey 00:19:50.099 --> 00:19:52.720 players entirely change the way the game is played 00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:55.980 from the blue line? If Makar is the pioneer of 00:19:55.980 --> 00:19:58.819 this new era, what does the next evolution of 00:19:58.819 --> 00:20:00.980 the sport even look like? It's a fascinating 00:20:00.980 --> 00:20:02.859 question. It is something to keep in mind the 00:20:02.859 --> 00:20:04.519 next time you watch a game. Thanks for joining 00:20:04.519 --> 00:20:05.359 us on this deep dive.