Cale Makar just became the highest-paid player in NHL history
The Colorado Avalanche locked up their franchise defenseman Friday on an eight-year, $163.2 million deal - $20.4 million a year - making Makar the first player in league history to crack the $20 million barrier.
In brief
Cale Makar just became the highest-paid player in NHL history
Friday morning, the Colorado Avalanche ended any lingering uncertainty about their franchise cornerstone. The team announced that defenseman Cale Makar had signed an eight-year contract extension worth $163.2 million - $20.4 million per season. He is now, by a wide margin, the highest-paid player in the history of the NHL.
No player in league history had ever touched $20 million a year. Makar didn't just touch it - he landed $400,000 below the legal maximum a player can earn under the current collective bargaining agreement.
The Avalanche announced Friday that Makar signed an eight-year extension worth $163.2 million. The contract is the richest in league history both in total value and annual value at $20.4 million per year.
The max a player could make, per percentage of the salary cap, is $20.8 million. Makar got as close to that ceiling as his agent could reasonably push, and the Avalanche handed it over without much visible drama.
A summer that kept rewriting the record book
This deal didn't come out of nowhere. The entire 2026 NHL offseason has been a cascading series of contract records, each one toppling the last. For the third time this summer and the fourth time in the last 365 days, the NHL record for highest contract AAV has changed hands. Kirill Kaprizov shocked the hockey world last September with an eight-year deal worth $17 million annually; in July, Leo Carlsson topped him with an $18 million AAV on a five-year term; three weeks later, Macklin Celebrini took the lead with $18.8 million a year for five seasons.
Then Makar blew all of them away.
Makar's $11.4 million raise kicks in at the start of the 2026-27 season, and it will make things significantly tighter for the Avalanche as they navigate the salary cap. But the bright side for Colorado - and the key in getting this deal done - is that the team now has each of its core players signed through at least 2031.
Per PuckPedia, the deal is heavily back-weighted with signing bonuses, including a $1 million base salary and $18.8 million signing bonus in the final year. That structure, familiar to any cap-conscious NHL team, helps smooth the accounting burden across years but commits the Avalanche to Makar deep into the next decade.
Why Makar is worth every dollar
Makar, 27, has been a finalist for the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman for six consecutive seasons. He is one of only 14 players to win multiple Norris Trophies, winning the award twice - most recently in 2025.
Makar has already won the Norris Trophy twice, and he was a key factor in Colorado's Stanley Cup run, which ended with him winning the Conn Smythe Trophy. This past season, Makar posted 20 goals and 59 assists in 75 games.
Those numbers from the blue line are almost impossible to contextualize. Makar collected an assist this past season to reach 500 career points (137-364-500 in 467 GP). He required the fourth-fewest games by a defenseman in NHL history to reach the mark, behind Bobby Orr (396 GP), Paul Coffey (422 GP), and Denis Potvin (465 GP).
General manager Joe Sakic didn't exactly hide his relief at getting this finished. "Today is an exciting day for the Avalanche organization and our wonderful fans," Sakic said. "Cale is a generational defenseman and his accomplishments speak for themselves. 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 kept it brief but warm. "I am so excited and humbled to continue to wear the Avalanche sweater and represent this incredible organization and community," Makar said. "I would like to thank the Kroenke family, Joe Sakic and the entire Avalanche organization for their commitment, trust and belief in me."
The Hellebuyck chaos in the background
Colorado's announcement landed against a backdrop of genuine turmoil across the NHL. Two days earlier, the league's other signature goaltending story turned ugly fast. Connor Hellebuyck, the three-time Vezina Trophy winner, said in a statement Thursday that he privately requested a trade from Winnipeg "several months ago" but is now making it public with NHL training camps set to open on Sept. 16.
At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Hellebuyck backstopped Team USA to the gold medal after going 5-0-0 with a .956 save percentage and 1.18 goals-against average. He came back from Milan a gold medalist and still wants out of Winnipeg. The Jets finished eight points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. That missed playoff berth appears to be the breaking point.
There has been strong speculation of Hellebuyck going to Buffalo around the NHL Draft in June, though whatever leverage Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff may have had to get a trade done took a substantial hit once the goalie went public. With training camps opening in a matter of weeks, either a trade happens or things could get really awkward.
Cheveldayoff's response was measured: "Connor has been open with us about his desire for a change," he said. "He has been an important part of the Winnipeg Jets organization for many years, and we have tremendous respect for what he has accomplished here. While we will continue to work through the situation in a thoughtful manner, there is no update at this time."
What it all means for the salary cap era
Put the two stories side by side and they tell the same story about where professional hockey stands in the summer of 2026. There may be some sticker shock upon seeing the $20.4 million average annual value, but that's the new reality in the NHL as the cap rises exponentially. Colorado's cap sits at $104 million this season. Makar alone consumes nearly 20 percent of it.
For the Avalanche, the math gets complicated fast. The next domino to fall will be an extension for Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes, who is neck-and-neck with Makar as the best defenseman in the world. Hughes' camp will use every dollar of Makar's deal as their opening argument.
For now, though, this is Colorado's moment. Makar is locked in through the 2034-35 season. He'll be 36 when that contract expires - if he plays all eight years - and the Avalanche are betting he'll still be worth it. Sakic has made bigger bets before and won a Cup. That last year of the deal pays Makar a $1 million base salary and an $18.8 million signing bonus, all due in the summer of 2034.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
