Cale Makar to Miss Stars Game for Avalanche Due to Family Obligation
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Cale Makar is not expected to play on Oct. 14 against the Dallas Stars, as the Colorado Avalanche defenseman will be unavailable due to his wife having reportedly gone into labor.
Avalanche Beat reporter Evan Rawal reported that Makar won't play at the American Airlines Center. Gino Hard would follow up that the Makar family is expected to be welcoming twins. Makar's absence will mean the Avalanche are without him for the previously referenced game in Texas. Without him, Colorado is expected to turn to Devon Toews to play on the top power play unit and Sam Malinski will also likely be depended upon.
As of press time, Makar's wife, Tracy, is expected to deliver the twins at any moment; as a result, Makar was also not present at morning skate.
Nathan MacKinnon is on the ice for morning skate. Cale Makar is not. Could be another maintenance situation with a back to back but will confirm. Makar did skate yesterday.
— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) October 13, 2026
Toews is now slated to run PP1, while Malinski will handle the second unit, with the pair also making up the top defensive pair for the Avs.
Veteran Noah Jullsen will also re-enter the lineup to give Colorado a traditional setup of 12 forwards and six defensemen. Head Coach Jared Bednar also stated that different combinations are to be expected on the blueline.
“They’re going to be bouncing around quite a bit,” Bednar said, also per Rawal. “We need other guys to sort of step in in different areas of the game. Hopefully everything goes good for him and Tracy and the family.”
The Avalanche are coming off a 6-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leads, while the Stars currently hold a 2-2-1 overall record.
Puck drop for the Avs and Dallas is slated for 7:30 p.m. Central.
Cale Makar Out for Avalanche Against Dallas Stars
Makar has recorded three goals and four assists for seven total points for the Avs so far this year across five games played.
The star defenseman — who is 27 — is also currently averaging 21:30 TOI.
Makar recently made history for the Avalanche; the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics silver medalist became the highest-paid player in NHL history with the signing of his eight-year contract extension through the 2034-35 season featuring a $20.4 million Average Annual Value (AAV).
The deal is worth a total of $163.2 million.
Makar has previously stated that he wants himself and his family to stay in Colorado throughout the entirety of his career.
"My intention was always to be an Av, hopefully for life, and I think this is a major step towards that," Makar has said in reference to his deal.
An official announcement surrounding the arrival of the new Makar members is expected in the near future.
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Jennifer Streeter graduated with a B.A. in journalism from Texas A&M and received her Master of Science from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. At both schools, she focused on an emphasis of sports reporting. A former athlete herself, "Jenny" was a varsity soccer player and comes from a family who participated in NCAA athletics. She has covered hockey since 2023 and is credentialed for the Seattle Kraken, New Jersey Devils and PWHL in addition to having covered the 2026 Frozen Four.