“He’s not that bad”: Norris Trophy winner pokes fun at Colorado Avalanche superstar teammate

Cale Makar poked fun at his Colorado Avalanche teammate Nathan MacKinnon regarding his nutritional regimen, during a sit-down talk with FanSided's NHL Director.
Colorado Avalanche blue liner Cale Makar threw a playful jab at teammate Nathan MacKinnon regarding his aversion to carbs.
Colorado Avalanche blue liner Cale Makar threw a playful jab at teammate Nathan MacKinnon regarding his aversion to carbs. | Leah Hennel/GettyImages

Colorado Avalanche defenseman, and Norris Trophy winner, Cale Makar, poked fun at his superstar teammate Nathan MacKinnon.

In an interview with Fansided’s NHL Director Steph Driver posted on April 21, Makar responded to a question regarding MacKinnon’s nutritional regimen.

Driver asked:

“Have you had to sneak any carbs around Nate MacKinnon?”

The playful question drew an equally playful reaction from this season’s presumptive Norris Trophy winner, responding:

"No, he’s not that bad with that stuff. Yeah, there’s been some reports out there and stuff. As long as you’re doing well on the ice, he doesn’t really care."

So, it seems Nathan MacKinnon won’t mind if Cale Makar has some carbs for dinner given his performance in Game 1’s victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday night. Makar had an assist in over 23 minutes of ice in the Avalanche’s 5-1 win.

Check out the humorous exchange at the 2:25 mark:

With Makar firing on all cylinders, the Avalanche hope to avenge last season’s defeat at the hands of the Stars and move on to the second round in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Cale Makar and teammates looking to “pick things” to exploit against Dallas Stars

Cale Makar was dominant on the ice as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the  Dallas Stars in Game 1 on Saturday night.
Cale Makar was dominant on the ice as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Dallas Stars in Game 1 on Saturday night. | Jack Gorman/GettyImages

Makar delved into his preparation against the Dallas Stars in their opening-round series in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.

In particular, Makar explained to Driver on what he’s focusing on against the Stars:

"Yeah, I would say they're going to be a tough matchup, try and pick so many little things in their game that we can exploit, but yeah, we'll definitely be looking into that this week, that's for sure."

The comments underscore the respect Makar and the Colorado Avalanche have for a formidable opponent like the Dallas Stars. Amid the injuries befalling the Stars, Makar and the Avs have found weak links in Dallas’ armor.

But just because the Avs got a big Game 1 victory, doesn’t mean the Stars will fold quietly and go home. The Stars will likely come back and throw everything at the Avalanche, including the kitchen sink.

With so much hockey left to be played, the Avalanche and Stars will need to continue exploiting the Stars’ weaknesses. If Game 1 was any indication, the Avalanche have a solid chance of advancing to the next round.

As long as Cale Makar is at peak performance, the Avalanche will have as good a chance as any team to make it to the Stanley Cup Final.

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