The National Hockey League announced this evening that Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon was named to the 2023-24 First All-Star Team. Additionally, defenseman Cale Makar was selected to the 2023-24 Second All-Star Team, marking the ninth time multiple Avalanche were named to postseason All-Star Teams and the second time in the last four seasons.
MacKinnon, 28, becomes the first Avalanche to take home First All-Star Team honors since Makar in 2021-22 and the first forward since Joe Sakic in 2003-04. It’s the fourth time MacKinnon has received Postseason All-Star Team recognition, following a Second All-Star Team nods in 2019-20 and 2017-18 as well as an All-Rookie Team choice in 2013-14. The 6-foot, 200-pound forward finished second in League scoring with 140 points (51g/89a) in 82 games in 2023-24, breaking the single-season franchise scoring record of 139 points set by Peter Stastny in 1981-82. The centerman reached the 50-goal plateau for the first time in his career and his 87 helpers were also a personal best and the most in a season since the Avalanche relocated. The 51g/89a scoring line made MacKinnon just the second NHL player in the last 25 years to reach 50-plus goals and 85-plus assists in a season, joining Connor McDavid in 2022-23 (64g/89a).
The Halifax, Nova Scotia native notched a league-leading 44 multi-point games to break Peter Stastny’s franchise record of 42 set in 1981-82. He also led the NHL with 92 even-strength points – a franchise record and the most by an NHL player since Jaromir Jagr had 95 for the 1995-96 Penguins – as well as a franchise-record 89 points on home ice. The 89 home points marked the highest total by an NHL player in his own rink since Mario Lemieux had 104 points in 1995-96. At the beginning of his home slate, MacKinnon found the scoresheet in 35 consecutive contests at Ball Arena which goes down as the second-longest home point streak in NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky finding the scoresheet in all 40 of his home games in 1988-89. MacKinnon recording at least a point in 39 of the 41 home games is tied for the second-most in a season with a point (Wayne Gretzky, 40, 1988-89 and 39, 1985-86).
Makar, 25, grabbed Second All-Star Team honors for the second straight season and has been named to an NHL Postseason All-Star Team every season since his first full campaign in 2019-20 where he was named to the All-Rookie Team. The blueliner joined Ray Bourque (first 17 seasons) and Bobby Orr (first nine seasons) as the only defensemen in League history to be named to a Postseason All-Star Team in each of his first five full NHL campaigns. After being named to the NHL’s Second All-Star Team in 2022-23 and the League’s First All-Star Team in both 2020-21 and 2021-22, Makar is the only defensemen in franchise history to be selected to four consecutive postseason NHL All-Star Teams at any point in his career.
The Calgary, Alberta native registered 90 points (21g/69a) in 77 games during the 2023-24 regular season to rank second among League blueliners in goals, assists and points. He paced rearguards in points per game (1.17), power-play points (39) and shorthanded points (4, tied). Makar’s scoring line made him the 12th defenseman (29th instance) in NHL history to record 90 points in a campaign and the only instance by an Avalanche/Nordiques defenseman. The 25-year-old also set a single-season franchise record for assists by a defenseman and became the first to have two different 20-goal campaigns, following his 28-goal output in 2021-22.
Makar was awarded the NHL’s Second Star of the Month of November after leading the NHL with 21 assists and finishing second with 25 points, both figures finishing as the most by an Avalanche/Nordiques defenseman in a calendar month. His 21 assists rank tied for the sixth-most by a blueliner in NHL history, three shy of the record (Roman Josi, 24 in March 2022), while the 21 helpers shared the most in franchise history with Peter Stastny (October 1983) regardless of position. Makar is the first Avalanche defenseman to be named one of the three NHL’s Monthly Stars.
