Colorado's Cale Makar wins Norris
Trophy as league's top defenseman for 2nd time in 4 seasons
[June 12, 2025]
By PAT GRAHAM
DENVER (AP) — Cale Makar captured the Norris Trophy as the league's
top defenseman for a second time in four seasons.
The Colorado Avalanche standout finished the regular season with 30
goals to become to first NHL blueliner to reach that mark since Mike
Green scored 31 for Washington in 2008-09. Makar also led all
defensemen this season with 62 assists and 92 points.
He received first-place votes on 176 of the 191 ballots cast by
members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. The
26-year-old from Calgary, Alberta, has been a Norris finalist in
each of the last five seasons.
Makar finds himself in elite company as he joins Bobby Orr (eight
times), Denis Potvin (three), Paul Coffey, Rod Langway and Erik
Karlsson as the only players to take home two or more Norris
Trophies before turning 27.
Makar was surprised with the award by his family and friends. He was
golfing with his buddies in a video posted on the NHL's social media
account when they stopped midround. A big group was waiting in the
yard for him and clapped as he received the trophy.
“My first thought was, honestly, that one of the boys that I was
playing with won some golf trophy and it was a surprise thing,”
Makar said in the video. “It definitely was not on my radar.”
His mom added: “Even though he doesn't like surprises, his reaction
today was awesome.”
Makar's regular season included such milestone moments as scoring
his 100th career NHL goal (Jan. 18 against Dallas) and becoming the
third-fastest defenseman in history to reach 400 career points (Feb.
23 at St. Louis).
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Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) in the third period of
Game 6 of an NHL first-round hockey playoff series Thursday, May 1,
2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, file)
He began the season by matching a career high with
a 13-game point streak. He was in a tie with Mark Stone for the
scoring lead at the end of October. That was the first time a
blueliner led or shared the league lead in points at the end of
October since Orr was in a four-way tie on Nov. 1, 1974.
In addition, Makar helped Canada take home the title in the
midseason 4 Nations Face-Off. He led the tournament in ice time.
Makar had a goal and four assists in a first-round playoff loss to
Dallas during a series that went seven games. His 1.08 points per
game average in the postseason is the third-best among defensemen
with at least 60 playoff games.
He also won the Norris in 2022, a season in which the Avalanche
hoisted the Stanley Cup. Makar earned the Conn Smythe Trophy that
year as the MVP of the playoffs.
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