A pair of Makars on the Avalanche roster? Taylor hopes to one day join brother Cale
Cale made his NHL debut in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs and has been a goal-scoring, puck-defending force ever since. He's coming off a season in which he had 30 goals as he became the first NHL defenceman to reach that mark since Mike Green scored 31 for Washington in 2008-09.
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No surprise, Cale was awarded the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman (he also won the award in 2022, the season Colorado captured the Stanley Cup).
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Now this was a surprise – the secret celebration his younger brother helped spring to commemorate the achievement. Taylor played a role in organizing a golf outing for the unsuspecting Cale as family and friends gathered in the backyard for the trophy presentation.
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When the group stopped by during their round, everyone was waiting.
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'It turned out well, and he was pretty excited,' explained Taylor, a seventh-round pick by Colorado in 2021. 'It was a cool, special moment for all the people that are really close to him and our family to share together.'
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The Makar name
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For Taylor, there's no added pressure having 'Makar' on the back of his sweater given his brother's success. In fact, it's 'pretty cool,' he conceded.
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Big brother's biggest piece of advice?
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'Just be myself,' Taylor said.
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Cale, 26, certainly is proud of his younger brother. The 24-year-old Taylor is coming off a season at Maine where he scored 18 goals and had 12 assists in 38 games. He then signed an entry-level deal and joined the Eagles, scoring a goal in five regular-season games.
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'I think he's got a lot of intangibles that once he puts them all together he's got a really bright career ahead,' said Cale, who was the fourth overall pick by the Avalanche in 2017. 'It's cool to be able to have family this close now.'
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Watching little brother
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In April, Cale ventured up to Loveland, Colo., to watch his brother play for the Eagles. Of course, there were extenuating circumstances – Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog was with the Eagles on a conditioning assignment in his recovery from a serious knee injury. It marked Landeskog's first professional game since Colorado's Cup run in 2022.
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'First time I've seen (Taylor) play live at least since (youth hockey),' said Cale, who along with teammate Nathan MacKinnon was part of Team Canada's first six players chosen to take part in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
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Taylor's road to making the Avalanche roster to start the season figures to be difficult. Colorado is a bona fide title contender and stacked at forward.
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'Just keep working hard, keep learning,' Taylor said. 'Got a ways to go, but just put everything out there.'
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