Cale Makar named EA Sports 'NHL 24' cover athlete

The series returns to a single-player cover after Trevor Zegras and Sarah Nurse shared the cover of NHL 23. Other recent cover athletes include Auston Matthews (20/22), Alexander Ovechkin (21), P.K Subban (19) and Connor McDavid (18). Makar is just the second defenseman over the past decade to earn the cover, with Subban, Dion Phaneuf (NHL 09), Chris Pronger (NHL 2000), Scott Stevens (NHL 96) being the only others to don the standard cover in the game’s history.

Makar is coming off a 66-point campaign with the Avalanche, his fourth season with the club. The Alberta native had an explosive 2021-22 season, winning the Norris Trophy, Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy. Makar won the Calder Trophy in 2020 as the NHL’s top rookie, and has finished as a Norris Trophy finalist in 2021 and 2023.

Makar has become one of the NHL’s premier scoring threats on the blue line. In 238 games, Makar has 65 goals and 246 points, good for second behind Roman Josi (253 points in 264 games) among defensemen since going full-time in 2019-20. Makar is the only defenseman with a positive points-per-game average (1.03) in that span.

Makar is set to begin his third year of a six-year contract with an AAV of $9 million. At that cost, Makar is one of the best-value defensemen in the NHL.