Cale Makar is staying with the Colorado Avalanche after agreeing to an eight-year, $163.2 million extension on Friday. The deal will keep him in Colorado through the 2034-35 season.
The Avalanche also shared a video of Makar talking about the new deal and his excitement about remaining with the team.
“I couldn’t be more excited to continue my journey here with the Avalanche in this amazing city of Denver and with all you guys, the fans,” Makar said. “Here’s to another hopefully amazing nine years.”
Fans quickly took over the comments section, with one user writing:
“Tell me i’m dreaming”
Another wrote:
“IVE NEVER BEEN MORE HAPPY”
One fan thought Makar could have received even more:
“At this point should’ve just signed him for the max 20.8M”
Another joked about the size of the deal:
“Wow! What a generous hometown discount!”
And one fan questioned how Colorado pulled off the deal:
“Are you guys playing with salary cap mode off ?”
Cale Makar’s new contract begins in 2027-28 and carries a $20.4 million AAV, which is the highest in NHL history. It is $400,000 below the league’s maximum salary and makes Makar the first NHL player with an annual average value of at least $20 million.
Cale Makar’s numbers speak for themselves
Cale Makar’s eight-year extension comes after another strong season for the Colorado defenseman, who finished the year among the finalists for the Norris Trophy once again.
Through seven NHL seasons, Makar has 507 points in 470 games, averaging 1.08 points per game. That is the fourth-highest mark among defensemen in NHL history, with Paul Coffey at 1.09.
Makar has won the Norris Trophy twice and has been a finalist in each of the last six seasons. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2022 after Colorado’s Stanley Cup run.
Last season, Makar played 75 games and recorded 20 goals and 59 assists, finishing second in Norris Trophy voting. Avalanche president of hockey operations and general manager Joe Sakic also praised Makar after the extension was announced.
“Today is an exciting day for the Avalanche organization and our wonderful fans,” Sakic said. “Cale is a generational defenceman and his accomplishments speak for themselves. He is obviously a tremendous competitor and player but even more so a great person, teammate and ambassador for the Avalanche and the Rocky Mountain region. We are beyond thrilled to get this deal done and have Cale in an Avalanche sweater for the next decade.”
Cale Makar has represented Canada internationally as well. He won silver at the 2026 Winter Olympics and helped Canada win the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025.
Edited by Sonali Verma