The Colorado Avalanche are the 2022 Stanley Cup champions. On Sunday, Colorado defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in game six of the Stanley Cup Finals to win the best out of seven series four games to two.
It was a strong game six for Nathan MacKinnon of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Avalanche center led the team in scoring with one goal and one assist. MacKinnon scored Colorado’s first goal of the game at 1:54 of the second period from Bowen Byram of Cranbrook, British Columbia and Gabriel Landeskog to tie the game at one goal apiece. MacKinnon then assisted on the game-winning goal by Artturi Lehkonen at 12:28 of the second period to put the Avalanche up 2-1.
Right before the Stanley Cup was presented to the Avalanche, the Conn Smythe Trophy was presented to the most valuable player to his team in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This year the award was presented to Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar of Calgary, Alberta. Makar led the Avalanche in playoff assists (21), and playoff points (29).
Makar became the third NHL player all-time to win the Norris Trophy and the Conn Smythe Trophy in the same season. He is joined by Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins (1970 and 1972) and Niklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings (2002). Like Makar, Orr is Canadian as he is from Parry Sound, Ontario.
MacKinnon, Makar and Byram were three of 11 Canadian natives who played for the Avalanche in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They were joined by right winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel of Slave Lake, Alberta, center Nazem Kadri of London, Ontario, defenseman Devon Toews of Abbotsford, British Columbia, left winger Andrew Cogliano of Toronto, Ontario, center Darren Helm of St. Andrews, Manitoba, center Alex Newhook of St. John’s, Newfoundland, defenseman Samuel Girard of Roberval, Quebec, and goaltender Darcy Kuemper of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
