Not many players could make a town think about adding a name next to Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby’s on its welcome sign, but MacKinnon might one day force his and Crosby’s hometown of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, to do just that.
MacKinnon, taken by the Colorado Avalanche with the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft — just as Crosby had been eight years earlier by the Pittsburgh Penguins — had a breakout season in 2017-18, finishing fifth in the League with 97 points (39 goals, 58 assists) in 74 games. He was a finalist for the Hart Trophy, given to the NHL’s most valuable player. He helped Colorado return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after it finished last in the NHL in 2016-17, then had six points (three goals, three assists) in six games against the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference First Round.
In 2019-20, MacKinnon finished fifth in the NHL with 93 points (35 goals, 58 assists) in 69 games and won the Lady Byng Award, given to the player who best combines sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and ability. He also scored 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 15 games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs and was leading all players in postseason scoring when the Avalanche were eliminated in Game 7 of the Western Conference Second Round.
MacKinnon’s 13 goals in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs shared the NHL lead with Evander Kane of the Edmonton Oilers. He was the third different player in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history with as many in a single postseason, jo
