Nathan MacKinnon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nathan MacKinnon |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
MacKinnon with the Colorado Avalanche in January 2020
|
|||
| Born | September 1, 1995 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team | Colorado Avalanche | ||
| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
||
| NHL Draft | 1st overall, 2013 Colorado Avalanche |
||
| Playing career | 2013–present | ||
.jpg)
Nathan Raymond MacKinnon (born September 1, 1995) is a super talented Canadian ice hockey player. He plays as a centre and is an alternate captain for the Colorado Avalanche in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Avalanche picked him first in the 2013 NHL Draft.
Nathan helped his team win the Stanley Cup in 2022. He also won big awards like the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award in the 2023–24 season, showing he was the league's most valuable player. Many people think he's one of the greatest hockey players of his time!
Contents
Playing Career
Early Life and Youth Hockey
Nathan MacKinnon grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He started playing hockey at a very young age in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. Even as a kid, he was incredibly good at the sport.
When he was around 10 years old, playing in the "atom" league, he scored an amazing 200 points in just 50 games! Later, playing "Bantam AAA" hockey, he scored 110 and then 145 points in two seasons.
After these impressive years, Nathan decided to go to a special boarding school in Minnesota, USA, called Shattuck-Saint Mary's. He chose this school because it had a really strong ice hockey program. In his first year there, he scored 101 points in 58 games. He continued to be a top scorer, even though he was one of the youngest players on his team. Nathan also played for Nova Scotia in the 2011 Canada Winter Games.
Junior Hockey Years
In 2011, Nathan was seen as the top player for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Draft. He was picked first overall by the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. However, because he didn't speak French, there was talk he might play in a different league.
Luckily, his rights were traded to the Halifax Mooseheads, a team closer to his home. On December 3, 2011, Nathan scored his first "hat-trick" (three goals in one game) in the QMJHL. He actually scored five goals in that game, which tied a Mooseheads record! He was only 16 years old at the time.
On May 26, 2013, Nathan led the Mooseheads to win their first-ever Memorial Cup championship. This is a huge tournament for junior hockey teams. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, scoring seven goals and six assists in just four games.
Joining the Colorado Avalanche (2013–Present)
Starting in the NHL
In 2013, the Colorado Avalanche had the first pick in the NHL Draft. Their coach, Patrick Roy, said they would pick Nathan MacKinnon. On June 30, 2013, the Avalanche officially drafted Nathan first overall.
Nathan signed his first NHL contract on July 9. He made his NHL debut on October 2, 2013, becoming the youngest player to ever play a regular season game for the Avalanche. He even got two assists in that first game! On October 12, he scored his first NHL goal.
As the season went on, Nathan played a bigger role on the team. He set an NHL record by becoming the youngest player to have two goals in back-to-back games. He also had a 13-game scoring streak, which was the longest for an 18-year-old in NHL history.
Nathan played in all 82 games in his first season. He led all new players (rookies) with 24 goals and 39 assists, for a total of 63 points. The Avalanche made it to the playoffs that year. On June 24, Nathan won the Calder Memorial Trophy for the best rookie player. He was the youngest player ever to win this award!
In his second NHL season (2014–15), Nathan scored his first NHL hat trick on February 22, 2015. He was the youngest Avalanche player to do so. His team didn't make the playoffs that year.
For the 2015–16 season, Nathan improved his scoring, but the Avalanche still missed the playoffs.
Becoming a Star Player
On July 8, 2016, Nathan signed a big seven-year contract with the Avalanche. Before the 2016–17 season, he was named an alternate captain for the team. He was also chosen to play in his first NHL All-Star Game.
Before the 2017–18 season, Nathan started working with a sports psychologist. This really helped him improve his game and become one of the best players in the league. On November 16, 2017, he had his first "five-point game" (a goal and four assists) in a win against the Washington Capitals. He was again selected for the 2018 NHL All-Star Game.
Nathan had an amazing season, scoring 39 goals and 58 assists for 97 points. He helped the Avalanche make the playoffs for the first time since his rookie year. He was nominated for the Ted Lindsay Award (best player as voted by other players) and the Hart Memorial Trophy (league's most valuable player). He finished second in the Hart Trophy voting.
In the 2018–19 season, Nathan almost reached 100 points, finishing with 99. The Avalanche made the playoffs again and won their first playoff series with Nathan on the team, beating the Calgary Flames.
On January 7, 2020, Nathan played in his 500th NHL game. He was on track for his first 100-point season in 2019–20, but the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He still had 93 points. On September 11, he won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, given for sportsmanship and high playing ability. He was also a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award again.
In the 2020–21 season, the Avalanche won the Presidents' Trophy as the best team in the regular season. Nathan was a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award for the third time.
Stanley Cup Champion
On January 26, 2022, Nathan got a broken nose and a concussion during a game, which made him miss some time. He finished the 2021–22 season with 88 points in 65 games. The Avalanche were one of the top teams in the league.
.jpg)
On June 26, 2022, Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup championship! They defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals. Nathan led all players in the playoffs with 13 goals and had 24 points in 20 games.
On September 20, 2022, Nathan signed a huge eight-year contract extension worth over $100 million with the Avalanche. This contract had the highest average yearly value in league history at the time.
On December 5, 2023, Nathan recorded his 500th career assist. On December 21, he scored his 300th career goal and his seventh career hat-trick. He finished the 2023–24 season with career highs in goals (51), assists (89), and points (140). He won the Ted Lindsay Award and the Hart Memorial Trophy for the 2023–24 season, proving he was the league's best player!
On December 10, 2024, Nathan recorded his 600th career assist. He had an amazing five points in that game.
International Play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Canada |
||
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2015 Czech Republic | |
| Silver | 2017 Germany/France | |
Nathan MacKinnon has played for Hockey Canada many times. His first experience was in 2011 at the 2011 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. Even though he was one of the youngest players, he scored five goals and eight points in five games.
In 2012, he played for Team Canada at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and won a gold medal. He also played for Team Canada at the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
At the 2015 World Championships, Nathan helped Canada win the gold medal with a perfect record. He finished the tournament with four goals and five assists.
Nathan was also a member of Team North America for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. In 2017, he played for Team Canada at the 2017 IIHF World Championship and helped them win a silver medal.
Career Statistics
Regular Season and Playoffs
Bold indicates led league
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2007–08 | Cole Harbour Wings | Bantam AAA | 50 | — | — | 110 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Cole Harbour Wings | Bantam AAA | 35 | — | — | 145 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Shattuck-Saint Mary's | Bantam AAA | 58 | 54 | 47 | 101 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Shattuck-Saint Mary's | Midget AAA | 40 | 45 | 48 | 93 | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Halifax Mooseheads | QMJHL | 58 | 31 | 47 | 78 | 45 | 17 | 13 | 15 | 28 | 12 | ||
| 2012–13 | Halifax Mooseheads | QMJHL | 44 | 32 | 43 | 75 | 45 | 17 | 11 | 22 | 33 | 12 | ||
| 2013–14 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 82 | 24 | 39 | 63 | 26 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 4 | ||
| 2014–15 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 64 | 14 | 24 | 38 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 72 | 21 | 31 | 52 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 82 | 16 | 37 | 53 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 74 | 39 | 58 | 97 | 55 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 2018–19 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 82 | 41 | 58 | 99 | 34 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 2 | ||
| 2019–20 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 69 | 35 | 58 | 93 | 12 | 15 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 12 | ||
| 2020–21 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 48 | 20 | 45 | 65 | 37 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 65 | 32 | 56 | 88 | 42 | 20 | 13 | 11 | 24 | 8 | ||
| 2022–23 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 71 | 42 | 69 | 111 | 30 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 4 | ||
| 2023–24 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 82 | 51 | 89 | 140 | 42 | 11 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 4 | ||
| NHL totals | 791 | 335 | 564 | 899 | 348 | 88 | 48 | 66 | 114 | 40 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Canada Atlantic | U17 | 5th | 5 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2012 | Canada Atlantic | U17 | 7th | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2012 | Canada | IH18 | 1st | 5 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 18 | |
| 2013 | Canada | WJC | 4th | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2014 | Canada | WC | 5th | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | |
| 2015 | Canada | WC |  |
10 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 6 | |
| 2016 | Team North America | WCH | 5th | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2017 | Canada | WC |  |
10 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 6 | |
| Junior totals | 21 | 11 | 13 | 24 | 24 | ||||
| Senior totals | 31 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 22 | ||||
Awards and Honours
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| CHL / QMJHL | ||
| Ed Chynoweth Trophy | 2013 | |
| Memorial Cup champion | 2013 | |
| Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy | 2013 | |
| CHL Memorial Cup All-Star team | 2013 | |
| Halifax Mooseheads Jersey Retirement | 2023 | |
| NHL | ||
| Calder Memorial Trophy | 2014 | |
| NHL All-Rookie Team | 2014 | |
| NHL All-Star Game | 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 | |
| NHL Second All-Star team | 2018, 2020 | |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy | 2020 | |
| Stanley Cup champion | 2022 | |
| Ted Lindsay Award | 2024 | |
| Hart Memorial Trophy | 2024 | |
| NHL First All-Star team | 2024 | |
Acting and Commercials
Nathan MacKinnon has appeared in a few TV shows and commercials. He played a version of himself in the Canadian TV show Mr. D. In one episode, he and a teammate had to leave an exam early for a hockey game. The teacher, Mr. D, didn't realize how talented Nathan was at first!
He also appeared as himself in the show Trailer Park Boys and later did voice acting for Trailer Park Boys: The Animated Series.
Nathan has also been in a series of Tim Hortons commercials on YouTube with fellow Nova Scotian and NHL star Sidney Crosby. Nathan has often looked to Crosby for inspiration during his career.
Images for kids
-
MacKinnon with the Colorado Avalanche in January 2020
See also
In Spanish: Nathan MacKinnon para niños
