Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon lifts the Stanley Cup on-stage during the Colorado Avalanche Victory Parade and Rally at Civic Center Park in Denver on June 30, 2022. (Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Signed, sealed and delivered.
The Colorado Avalanche and star forward Nathan MacKinnon reached an agreement on an eight-year contract extension that runs through the 2030-2031 season.
MacKinnon, 27, has one year left on his current deal.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports the deal has an average annual value of $12.6 million, or just over $100 million total, and makes MacKinnon the highest paid player in the NHL.
MacKinnon was one of the centerpieces of the Avs Stanley Cup-winning team this past season. He scored 32 goals and added 56 assists for a total of 88 points in 65 games. The Avs will remain the only team for which MacKinnon has played, having selected him first overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
MacKinnon tied for the league-lead with 13 goals in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs.
MacKinnon, Avalanche president Joe Sakic and General Manager Chris MacFarland spoke with reporters on Tuesday, September 20.
AVALANCHE SIGNS MacKINNON TO EIGHT-YEAR EXTENSION
Forward Tied For NHL Lead In Playoff Goals
In Helping Avalanche Win 2022 Stanley Cup
DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has signed forward Nathan MacKinnon to an eight-year contract extension starting in 2023-24 (runs through 2030-31). He has one year left on his current deal signed on July 8, 2016.
The first overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, MacKinnon was a finalist for the Hart Trophy in three of the last five seasons (2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21). He won the 2020 Lady Byng Award and 2014 Calder Trophy and was named to the NHL’s Second All-Star Team in both 2017-18 and 2019-20.
MacKinnon, 27, finished second on the Avalanche with 88 points (32g/56a) in 65 games during the 2021-22 campaign. He ranked seventh in the NHL in both points/game (1.35) and shots (299). It marked his fourth career 30-goal season, third most in Colorado history after Joe Sakic (six) and Milan Hejduk (five). MacKinnon recorded his 600th NHL point in his 599th career game on Jan. 17, 2022 vs. Minnesota, becoming the seventh player in franchise history, fourth in Colorado history and first from the 2013 NHL Draft to hit 600 points.
MacKinnon helped the Avalanche win the 2022 Stanley Cup after tallying 13 goals and 24 points in 20 postseason games. His 13 goals tied for the league lead and equaled the second highest total in a single postseason in franchise history (Sakic, 18, 1996). MacKinnon also led the NHL in shots (117) and power-play goals (6-tied).
“Nathan is obviously one of the premier players in the NHL so a long-term extension was something we wanted to get done before the season started,” said Avalanche General Manager Chris MacFarland. “He has that rare combination of speed and power with a high compete level that makes him a generational player. We are thrilled he will continue to be a member of this team and this community for many years to come.”
Heading into what will be his 10th NHL season this fall, MacKinnon has tallied 648 points (242g/406a) in 638 career regular season games, ranking sixth on the franchise’s all-time scoring list. He sits fifth in points/game (1.02), seventh in goals (242), sixth in assists (406) and power-play tallies (71), fourth in game-winning goals (46) and shares the franchise record with nine overtime tallies.
MacKinnon’s 638 points, 242 goals and 406 assists are the fourth most by an Avalanche player since the franchise relocated to Denver in 1995. No player from the 2013 NHL Draft has more goals, assists or points than MacKinnon. Since 2017-18, MacKinnon has 442 points (167g/275a) in 338 games, the third-highest total of any player over the last five seasons behind only Connor McDavid (549) and Leon Draisaitl (479).
MacKinnon has 2,401 career shots on goal, fourth most in franchise history and the second most of any player since he made his debut on Oct. 1, 2013 (Alex Ovechkin, 3,012). MacKinnon set a single-game franchise record with 14 shots on Feb. 25, 2022 vs. Winnipeg, the most by an NHL player since Nov. 10, 2015 (Ovechkin 15 at Detroit). He has placed among the top 10 in shots on five occasions, which included leading the league in both 2018-19 and 2019-20.
MacKinnon has 93 points (41g/52a) in 70 career playoff games, the third-highest points/game (1.33) average in postseason history behind only Wayne Gretzky (1.84) and Mario Lemieux (1.61). MacKinnon was the fourth-fastest player in NHL history to reach 80 career playoff points (59 games, tied with Sidney Crosby) and the sixth fastest to 90 points (68 games, tied with Denis Savard). His 93 points are the seventh-most through 70 career playoff games in NHL history.
MacKinnon has been named captain of the Central Division in each of the last three NHL All-Star Games and has been selected to five consecutive mid-season classics, the fourth-longest streak in franchise history behind Sakic (eight, 1989-90 to 1997-98), Michel Goulet (six, 1982-83 to 1987-88) and Peter Forsberg (six, 1995-96 to 2000-01). MacKinnon and Sakic (2006-07) are the only Avalanche players to ever captain an All-Star team.
A native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, MacKinnon was the youngest player to ever win the Calder Trophy (18 years, 224 days) and was named to the 2013-14 NHL All-Rookie Team. He was the youngest player in franchise history to make his debut (18 years, 31 days).
Prior to turning pro, MacKinnon led the Halifax Mooseheads to their first-ever Quebec Major Junior Hockey League championship and first-ever Memorial Cup title in 2012-13.
At the international level, MacKinnon represented Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey. He has represented Canada at three IIHF World Championships (2014, 2015, 2017), helping his country to the gold medal in 2015. He also played for his nation at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship.