{"id":80383,"date":"2025-03-03T13:12:33","date_gmt":"2025-03-03T20:12:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=80383"},"modified":"2025-03-03T13:12:33","modified_gmt":"2025-03-03T20:12:33","slug":"cale-makar-secrets-to-success-in-the-nhl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/cale-makar-secrets-to-success-in-the-nhl\/","title":{"rendered":"Life in the NHL can wear you down. Here\u2019s how Cale Makar stays sharp all season."},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Tracy
Tracy and Cale Makar with recent addition Presley, a Welsh Springer Spaniel. Photo by Clarkson Creative Photography, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There\u2019s much we can\u2019t learn from Cale Makar, the Colorado Avalanche<\/a> defenseman who, at just 26, already counts among the best the NHL has ever seen. The speed, power, and endurance; the vision; the sense of positioning; the dead-eye wrist shot that launches as if from a compound bow \u2013 these are products of innate gifts honed through decades of dedication to a passion born on the rinks of Calgary.<\/p>\n

Such attributes have played no small role in his collection of a Hobey Baker Award<\/a> (college hockey\u2019s Heisman), a Conn Smythe trophy<\/a> (Stanley Cup playoffs MVP), and a James Norris Memorial Trophy<\/a> as the league\u2019s \u2013 and, let\u2019s be clear, the world\u2019s \u2013 best defenseman. But qualities and habits just as central to Makar\u2019s success are within the grasp of those of us whose principal experiences with ice involve chilling beverages with it. They have to do with how he contends with a grueling NHL schedule and the highs and lows that come with great moments and gaffes and wins and losses, all magnified by relentless scrutiny and analysis by hockey beat reporters and armchair opinionators alike.<\/p>\n

UCHealth Today<\/em> caught up with Makar and his wife Tracy the day after the 49th<\/sup> of the Avalanche\u2019s 82-game regular season, to which the playoffs could add another 28. That is, just past the midpoint of the October-to-April (and beyond) NHL grind. What lessons can those pushing through lesser, if longer, grinds learn from the Makars?<\/p>\n

Know your body and act on that knowledge<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Avalanche play the same number of games as the Denver Nuggets, but with a lot more smashing into the boards. The Denver Broncos ply a trade only marginally less violent, but with one-fifth as many games. Combine all that with Makar averaging more than 25 minutes on the ice per game \u2013 among the most in the NHL \u2013 and performance-sapping fatigue and soreness can become constant companions. To counter them, he works as diligently on recovery<\/a> as he does on his game.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s so many different things you can do to stay on top of recovery \u2013 physical therapy, massage therapy, cold tubs, saunas have become huge \u2013 and then nutrition, being able to eat right,\u201d Makar says. \u201cOnce you start lacking in one of those areas, it really starts to show in different pieces of not only your game, but your well-being. So you kind of have to have all of them going at the same time, and it can be tough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most whose livelihoods don\u2019t hinge on athletic accomplishment lack the need or the resources for such intense recovery strategies. But the importance of recovery holds. If your output is dipping, if you\u2019ve got nagging aches and pains, or if you\u2019re just feeling fatigued, consider a rest day \u2013 and maybe treat yourself to a massage<\/a>, cold tub<\/a>, or sauna<\/a>, all of which research shows to have real impact on recovery. The key is to observe the state of your body and act on it, something called interoception<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cCale is really good at being proactive,\u201d Tracy says. \u201cSo, if something\u2019s a little off, he\u2019s not just like, \u2018I\u2019m taking a rest day,\u2019 but instead he\u2019ll have someone come and do treatment on him. So\u00a0he\u2019s always thinking one step ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Foster independence \u2013 and deliberate time together \u2013 to adapt to work travel<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Two days after game number 49 on Jan. 22, Makar and teammates flew out for a three-game road trip to Boston and New York. It was the 14th<\/sup> \u201cbusiness trip\u201d they had taken since the preseason stated in September. The Makars may be young, but they met when they were in middle school, and they\u2019re old hands at managing their relationship at a distance.<\/p>\n

While Cale was playing college hockey at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Tracy was studying to be a teacher and on the golf team at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta. It was 2,000 miles of separation as the crow flies, but neither crows nor airlines fly it. Her jaunts involved a three-hour drive to Calgary, a layover in Toronto, and an arrival in Connecticut where Makar picked her up. They saw each other infrequently.<\/p>\n

\"Much
Much more than raw hockey skills go into earning this trophy. Photo courtesy of Tracy Makar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With Tracy teaching school in Calgary, that continued after the Avalanche drafted Makar. The coronavirus pandemic made routine visits an even bigger challenge given lengthy quarantines upon arrival in either country.<\/p>\n

Now they\u2019re married and together in Denver \u2013 when Cale\u2019s not away with the Avs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think to have that consistency now is really nice,\u201d Makar says. \u201cI\u2019m fortunate with Tracy to have such a good support system and her to keep me happy most of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are moments, Tracy says, when she wishes he weren\u2019t away.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I also think it\u2019s beneficial at times, because it teaches you how to communicate properly and openly,\u201d Tracy says. \u201cAnd it\u2019s important that we both have our own life.\u201d<\/p>\n

They do make the most of the summer offseason.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t take that time for granted, because it\u2019s rare that we\u2019re together for two months straight,\u201d Tracy says. \u201cIt\u2019s really nice that we have that time. We\u2019re intentional with it, which is awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Get your sleep<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Avalanche often fly to the next destination right after playing a night game. That can mean getting to a distant hotel well after midnight. A good night\u2019s sleep can be hard to come by, and consistent sleep is critical to<\/a> athletic and cognitive performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s tough sometimes \u2013 you finish a game, you fly, you get to a hotel, and you\u2019re getting into bed at like 2:30-3 O\u2019clock in the morning, and then you either play the next day or you have a little off day,\u201d Makar says. \u201cEverybody has different tactics that they use, whether its apps to help them fall asleep, or white noise, or drinks that can help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Makar aims for eight hours a night and describes himself as a solid sleeper, but he makes a point of taking his mind off hockey by watching videos or reading to \u201cbring your brain down,\u201d as he puts it.<\/p>\n

\"Presley\u2019s
Presley\u2019s puppy energy and early-morning hours have led to slight adjustments in Cale\u2019s sleep habits. Photo by Clarkson Creative Photography, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sleep can also be a challenge after home games at Ball Arena. Players often do strength training and then have dinner afterward, a compromise that balances skating without a full belly with the need for calories after extreme exertion. Research has shown<\/a> that eating too close to bedtime can impact sleep quality and duration, though that impact varies based on time after eating.<\/p>\n

Recently, a greater impediment to Cale\u2019s homestand sleep quality arrived in the form of Presley, the Makars\u2019 Welsh Springer Spaniel puppy. She gets up early.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t used to, but I\u2019m starting to incorporate naps,\u201d Makar says.<\/p>\n

Have a short memory <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Makar and teammates face unrelenting pressure to perform, and even the best make mistakes. Learning from them is good; dwelling on them is not. Forgetting \u2013 be it active<\/a> or motivated<\/a> \u2013 is recognized as an important aspect of mental health.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been gifted with a very short memory,\u201d he says. \u201cEven if it\u2019s something midgame where you make a bad play, it doesn\u2019t really resonate with me until afterward. So for me, mentally, it comes down to that you just really can\u2019t worry about the negative aspects when you\u2019re in the moment, but then those are the things you want to learn from.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a profession where great days and lousy ones can turn over like cards from a deck, keeping emotional highs and lows in check can be an effective coping mechanism. While Makar celebrates goals like everybody else, his natural tendency is to flatten the sharp peaks and valleys into a more undulating psychological equilibrium.<\/p>\n

The wives and girlfriends of some of Makar\u2019s teammates have told Tracy that losses can make for tough nights on the home front afterward. Not so with her husband.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is the most even-keeled guy ever. He could win five-nothing and score a hat trick, and he would come home in the exact same mood as if they won by a goal, or even lost,\u201d Tracy says. \u201cI always get the same Cale, which is awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

A relentless pursuit of self-improvement and optimization by an athlete who is, as he puts it, \u201cthe kind of guy that\u2019s never really satisfied\u201d can bleed into unproductive self-criticism. Tracy helps him steer clear of that, he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got to know you are a human being, so you\u2019ve got to be kind to yourself. That\u2019s something I\u2019ve learned a lot from Tracy,\u201d Makar says. \u201cI\u2019m a serious guy by nature, but I think just having that ability to kind of just step back and realize that you need to be proud of yourself at times is important as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The
The Makars are deliberate about open communication and spending time together. That\u2019s critical given Cale\u2019s travel schedule. Photo courtesy of Tracy Makar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And while Makar considers the past and plans for the future, he focuses most on what he can influence in the near-term.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are so many things that you can worry about nowadays, whether it\u2019s social media or not doing what you want to do night-in and night-out. For me, you just kind of roll with it,\u201d he says. \u201cI don\u2019t think too far ahead, and I try not to worry about the past too much. It\u2019s more learning about what can make me better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Words we can learn from.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s much we can\u2019t learn from Cale Makar, the Colorado Avalanche defenseman who, at just 26, already counts among the best the NHL has ever seen. The speed, power, and endurance; the vision; the sense of positioning; the dead-eye wrist shot that launches as if from a compound bow \u2013 these are products of innate […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":80386,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[773,457,9187],"class_list":["post-80383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-colorado-avalanche","tag-mens-health","tag-readysetco"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCale Makar's secrets to success in the NHL - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Hockey superstardom can\u2019t be taught, but lessons from his approach to a very tough job can apply to anybody.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/cale-makar-secrets-to-success-in-the-nhl\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Life in the NHL can wear you down. 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