Avalanche's Cale Makar Revealed as NHL 24 Cover Star

It hasn't taken long for Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar to establish himself as one of the best players in the NHL, and now he will be immortalized on the cover of the league's flagship video game.

EA Sports announced on Monday that Makar will be the cover athlete of NHL 24. The official full reveal is set for Wednesday, Aug. 16.

The fourth overall pick in the 2017 draft by Colorado, Makar made his NHL debut during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs and quickly made history when he became the first defenseman ever to score a playoff goal in his NHL debut. It was clear from that point that the Avalanche had a special player.

Makar won the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year following the 2019-20 season. The following year, he finished second in the voting for the James Norris Memorial Trophy as best defenseman in the league. Colorado rewarded him with a six-year, $54 million extension prior to the 2021-22 campaign, and he immediately proved why he was worthy of that commitment.

Makar recorded a career-high 86 points that year, with his 28 goals being the most for an NHL defenseman since the 2016-17 season. He broke through to win the Norris Trophy that year after helping lead the Avalanche to the best record in the Western Conference.

Colorado went on to defeat the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals to win their third championship in franchise history. Makar was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the postseason after recording a team-high 29 points, the fourth-most for a defenseman in a single playoffs in NHL history.