Cale Makar misses Stars game as wife expects twins
Key takeaways
- Cale Makar missed the Avalanche game in Dallas for a family reason.
- His wife Tracy is expecting twins, and he stayed in Denver with her.
- Noah Juulsen took his place in the lineup against the Stars.
Cale Makar missed a hockey game for the best reason. His wife Tracy is expecting twins. Makar stayed in Denver to be with her.
He sat out the Colorado Avalanche game against the Dallas Stars.
The Avalanche announced the news on Tuesday. The team said Makar would not play that night. The game was on the road in Dallas.
Makar stayed home in Denver. The team wished the family well.
What happened
Makar is the star defenceman for Colorado. A defenceman plays at the back. He stops attacks and starts plays.
Makar does both at a high level. He is one of the best in the league at his job.
On Tuesday morning, Makar was not at practice. Reporters noticed his absence. The team then confirmed the reason.
His wife Tracy had gone into labor. Labor is the process before a baby is born. The couple are expecting twins.
Twins means two babies at once.
The Avalanche posted the news on social media. The team said Makar was back in Denver with his wife. The team said the couple were awaiting the arrival of their twins.
Fans sent messages of support. The hockey world joined in.
This was a road game for Colorado. The team traveled to Dallas to face the Stars. Makar did not travel with them.
He stayed in Denver with Tracy. Family came first.
Noah Juulsen took his place in the lineup. Juulsen is also a defenceman. He had one assist in three games this season.
An assist is a pass that sets up a goal. Juulsen gives Colorado a steady option at the back.
The team also changed its shape. Colorado dressed 12 forwards and six defencemen. A forward plays up front and attacks.
The team had to shuffle its pairs on defence. Head coach Jared Bednar said the pairs would move around a lot. He asked other players to step up.
Devon Toews took over on the top power play unit. A power play is when one team has more players on the ice. Sam Malinski also got a bigger role.
The team needed many players to cover for Makar.
Why it matters
Makar is hard to replace. He has three goals and four assists in five games this season. That is seven points in five games.
A point is a goal or an assist. He plays about 21 and a half minutes per game. That is a huge share of each match.
Last season, Makar scored 20 goals. He added 59 assists. That gave him 79 points in 75 games.
He finished second in voting for the Norris Trophy. The Norris Trophy goes to the best defenceman in the league. Makar has won it twice before, in 2022 and 2025.
Makar is now in his eighth season with Colorado. He joined the team in the 2019-20 season. He won the Calder Trophy that year.
That award goes to the best rookie. A rookie is a first-year player.
He helped Colorado win the Stanley Cup in 2022. The Stanley Cup is the top prize in hockey. Makar won the Conn Smythe Trophy in that run.
That award goes to the best player in the playoffs. He had 29 points in 20 playoff games that year.
Earlier this year, Makar played for Canada at the Winter Olympics. The Games took place in Milano Cortina in February. Makar was an alternate captain for the team.
He had two goals and four assists in six games. Canada won a silver medal.
Makar also signed a huge new contract. The deal is for eight years and $163.2 million. It starts in the 2027-28 season.
It will make him the highest-paid player in the league by yearly pay. The Hockey News reported the terms of the deal.
What happens next
The Avalanche and Stars play again on Wednesday. The second game is in Denver. It is the second half of a home-and-home set.
A home-and-home is when two teams play each other twice in a row.
It is not clear if Makar will play in that game. Sportsnet reports that his status is unknown. It will depend on how the birth goes.
The team has not set a date for his return. No one is rushing him back.
The team must manage without him for now. Other defencemen will share the work. Toews and Malinski will carry more minutes.
Juulsen will get more ice time. The forwards must help on defence too.
Colorado came into the week off a loss. The team lost 6-3 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. That game was on Saturday.
The team wants a better result next time. But the mood around the club is warm. The focus is on the Makar family.
Fans searched for Makar in big numbers. Google Trends logged about 2,000 searches. The searches came from the United States and Canada.
Many fans wanted to know why he was out. The answer was a happy one.
For more hockey, read our recap of the Avalanche game against the Stars. You can also see how the Hurricanes rallied past the Capitals. For the wider picture, check the early-season NHL standings.
The Avalanche will wait for news from Denver. When the twins arrive, the team will share the joy. Hockey can wait for one more night.
Family comes first, and the fans know it.
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