CBC Lite Sections Sports • Hockey • NHL Makar makes history: Avs sign defenceman to NHL's largest-ever contract Pat Graham | The Associated Press | Posted: August 28, 2026 11:31 PM | Last Updated: August 29 27-year-old to agrees to 8-year extension worth $163.2M US Image | Avalanche blueliner Cale Makar Caption: Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar is coming off a season in which he had 20 goals and 79 points. He finished second to Zach Werenski of Columbus in the Norris Trophy voting as the NHL's top defenceman. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images/File) (BUTTON) Load image Open image in new tab Cale Makar and the Colorado Avalanche agreed to an eight-year contract extension worth $163.2 million US on Friday that will make him the highest paid player in league history. His agency, Bartlett Hockey, confirmed terms of the deal. Makar's extension is set to be the richest in NHL history, surpassing the eight-year, $136 million extension signed by Minnesota forward Kirill Kaprizov last September. Makar's deal runs through the 2034-35 season. With an annual average value of $20.4 million that begins in 2027-28, the Calgary native’s deal eclipses that of San Jose Sharks superstar Macklin Celebrini, who signed a five-year, $94 million extension in late July that has an $18.8 million AAV. Makar's record-setting deal could push the limit even higher with Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Toronto's Auston Matthews eligible for extensions next summer. "I couldn't be more excited to continue my journey here with the Avalanche in this amazing city of Denver," Makar said in a video posted on social media by the team, calling it a historic day. "Here's to another, hopefully amazing nine years." * Blue Jackets' Werenski beats out Makar for NHL top defenceman honours The 27-year-old Makar is coming off a season in which he had 20 goals and 59 assists. He finished second to Zach Werenski of Columbus in the Norris Trophy voting, an award that goes to the league's top defenceman. Makar has won the award twice over his career. The cap hit for Makar for last season was $9 million after signing a six-year, $54 million contract in 2021. The new deal for Makar now sets the bar for fellow standout defencemen Quinn Hughes of Minnesota and Werenski. Expected to be ready for camp Securing the long-term services of Makar was a high priority this off-season for president of hockey operations/general manager Joe Sakic, who maintained that Makar was "going to finish his career" in Colorado. The team drafted Makar fourth overall in 2017 out of the University of Massachusetts. The salary cap is projected to be $113.5 million in 2027-28 when Makar's new deal begins. He will take up roughly 18% of the room for a team with a Cup-ready roster. Left wing Artturi Lehkonen is set to be a free agent after this season, along with centre Nicolas Roy and goaltender Scott Wedgewood. Makar was banged up heading into a Western Conference final where the Vegas Golden Knights swept the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche. An upper-body injury sidelined him for Games 1 and 2, but he returned for the final two contests. Sakic recently said Makar is slated to be ready for training camp. It's been a busy off-season for Sakic, who's stepping back into the role of general manager after Chris MacFarland left to lead the front office in Nashville. Among the deals orchestrated by Sakic was sending Valeri Nichushkin to the Blue Jackets for draft picks. It was a way to free up space to negotiate the extension for Makar. * Golden Knights eliminate Avalanche in Western Conference final * Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck goes public with trade request "Cale is a generational defenceman and his accomplishments speak for themselves," Sakic said in a statement. "He is obviously a tremendous competitor and player but even more so a great person, teammate and ambassador for the Avalanche and the Rocky Mountain region. We are beyond thrilled to get this deal done and have Cale in an Avalanche sweater for the next decade." Makar has turned in four 20-goal seasons in his career, one of just 12 defencemen in league history to post at least that many campaigns. He also notched his 500th NHL point on March 28 in his 467th career game. He's the fourth-fastest defenceman to reach that milestone, behind only Hall of Famers Bobby Orr (396 games), Paul Coffey (422) and Denis Potvin (465). The core of Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and captain Gabriel Landeskog helped Colorado to a Stanley Cup title in 2022. Makar had eight goals and 29 points during the championship run to capture the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. Makar's younger brother, Taylor, recently signed a two-year contract with the Avalanche that runs through the 2027-28 season. Taylor Makar made his NHL debut on Nov. 1 in San Jose, as the brothers became the first siblings to appear in the same contest while playing for the Avalanche. The Stastny brothers — Anton, Peter and Marian — accomplished the feat when the team was the Quebec Nordiques. "Colorado has truly become a second home to us, and we are so grateful to be here," Cale Makar said. "I look forward to getting back on the ice with my teammates and continuing to work toward our goal of bringing the Stanley Cup back to the Mile High City." More Stories Like This The related links below are generated automatically based on the story you’ve just read. Loading... CBC Lite is a low-bandwidth website. To see what's new, check out our release notes. For high quality images, media, comments, and other additional features visit the full version of this story. 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