- Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar was voted the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sunday night after the Colorado victory over Tampa Bay.
- Coming off a season where he produced 28 goals and 58 assists in 77 games — good enough to win the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenceman — Makar took his play up another notch in the playoffs.
The current Norris Trophy winner finished third among all skaters and led all NHL defensemen in this postseason with 29 points through 20 games.
Since the PHWA began releasing its results five seasons ago, he is the first recipient to get the award unanimously.
The 23-year-old is also only the third player to win it at that age or younger, and he is the youngest playoff MVP in 52 years.
READ: Colorado defeated the Lightning 2-1 in Game 6 to lift the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2001.
Bobby Orr won it with the Boston Bruins in 1970 at the age of 22, while Serge Savard won it with the Montreal Canadiens a year earlier at the age of 23.
Makar entered the game with the highest average ice time (27:13) among all players still competing in the playoffs. He spent 24:21 in the crucial game.
Makar is the 13th defenceman to win the Conn Smythe, and sixth since 2000, joining: Scott Stevens (2000), Nicklas Lidstrom (2002), Scott Niedermayer (2007), Duncan Keith (2015) and Victor Hedman (2020).
He also joins exclusive company as one of only three defencemen to win the Stanley Cup, the Norris Trophy, and the Conn Smythe in the same season.
Makar also joins Joe Sakic (1996) and Patrick Roy (2001) as the Avalanche's only Conn Smythe winners in franchise history.
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thescore.com
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