Colorado Avalanche: 10 Fresh Facts About Cale Makar

Find out new facts about Colorado Avalanche rookie Cale Makar! All about quarantine-mates and what he wanted to grow up to be as a kid!

Colorado Avalanche stud rookie is up in Calgary under the recommended self-quarantine the NHL has suggested. At least for the first part of the self-quarantine he was at his family’s mountain home all alone.

Well, we’re still getting to know our Calder favorite defenseman. A fan put out an informative video that gives us a few facts we may or may not have known about Cale.

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The first is the fact that Makar once wanted to be an engineer. This desire persisted until he was 10 years old. He liked that the career involves creativity, drawing, science, and math — subjects young Cale enjoyed.

Naturally, by 10 years old Makar was already well-involved in hockey. He first played within the Crowchild Blackhawks minor-hockey program, but he moved on to Bantam level in 2011, at which time he would have been 13.

Another fresh fact is that Cale has a brother, Taylor, who’s three years younger. He also played in the Crowchild MHA, and he spent three seasons with the Brooks Bandits, Makar’s AJHL team. Like Cale, Taylor is headed to UMass for next season.

Fun fact #3: Cale Makar is of Ukrainian descent on his father’s side. That could be where he gets his name from — you find it in Slavic countries.

Speaking of his name, most Avs fans focus on the fact that it’s a different spelling for the vegetable kale. So, naturally, when Makar was asked yesterday during his Q & A about nicknames, they centered around that.

What’s more, during his Instagram Live spot last summer, Tyson Jost related that teammates also call him Cale Salad.

Now, this next question was a good one — who’s been his biggest mentor on the Colorado Avalanche. It should come as no surprise that it’s Erik Johnson, whom I’ve called the captain of the blueline all season.

Of course, our captain, Gabriel Landeskog, also took him under his wing from the first day. Landeskog even drove Makar to his first NHL game — that Game 3 here in Denver.

And Makar has talked about his admiration for Nathan MacKinnon before. He even called him the most competitive person he’s ever played with.

A popular question these days is who would you want to be quarantined with. His responses were actually pretty similar to mine:

Tyson Jost actually used to cook in the house he shared with JT Compher and Alexander Kerfoot. He once boasted he cooks a mean squash. He and Cale also live in the same apartment complex, so maybe he can get in on some Josty cooking when they return to Denver.

This next question is genius:

Ok, let’s talk about the fact that Cale Makar just happened to be standing in front of an old movie poster for the film he names, Back to the Future. It’s almost like he’s putting on a show for us.

Now, this next question is either genius or madness — what color and scent of marker would Cale be?

Ok, let’s now talk about the fact that Makar took this question in stride. He also answered it like he did the others, like it wasn’t an off-the-wall query.

Now, I’ve commented before that Makar is an extraordinarily poised young man. So you might think no question will throw him. Yet last summer during the Media Tour, the NHL asked him what three questions he’d ask his pet, and he was floored.

But he’d be a yellow, lemon-scented marker. Yes, Cale, that actually does suit you. (And we will totally be doing a match to other players in the future.)

Next up, a fan asked if he’s tried any TikTok challenges, a pastime that’s become very popular during the stay-at-home orders.

Makar has not joined the list of dancing kings.

Plug for the Dancing Donskois.

So, going back to just having props readily on hand:

I’m not saying Cale gets a commission, but he just handily had the book right there. 😂

And a final wish:

The Colorado Avalanche have a leader in Cale Makar.

Well, who would have thought that this time of quarantine and stay-at-home would afford us the opportunity to get to know our players a little better. The teams and the NHL have been doing a lot to reach out to them and invite us into their communities.