University of Massachusetts hockey alumnus and 2019 Hobey Baker winner Cale Makar has won his first Stanley Cup Championship with the Colorado Avalanche, as Colorado posted a series-clinching 2-1 victory in Game 6 over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday night.

Makar was also named the recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, becoming the second Minuteman in history to earn the honor as goaltender Jonathan Quick won the Conn Smythe in 2012.

It marks the fifth time a Massachusetts hockey alumnus has won the Stanley Cup, as Makar joins Conor Sheary (Pittsburgh Penguins – 2016, 2017) and Quick (Los Angeles Kings - 2012, 2014) who have both hoisted the Cup twice.

Makar was the unanimous choice for the Conn Smythe, grabbing the first-place vote from all 18 voters after playing a pivotal role in Colorado capturing its first Stanley Cup since 2001. The former Minuteman was third in the NHL with 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) in 19 games this postseason, the most by a defenseman since Brian Leetch had 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) in 23 games for the New York Rangers in 1993-94. After finishing with seven points (three goals, four assists) in the Stanley Cup Final, Makar becomes the youngest defenseman to win the Conn Smythe since Bobby Orr did so 52 years ago and UMass joins Cornell as one of just two NCAA hockey programs to produce two Conn Smythe winners.

The Calgary, Alberta native was awarded the Norris Trophy last Tuesday as the top defenseman in the NHL during the 2021-22 regular season, which saw him put up 56 points (19g, 37a) and help Colorado finish first in the Western Conference. He is the third defenseman in NHL history to win the Cup, Conn Smythe and Norris Trophy in the same season, joining Orr (1970, 1972) and Nicklas Lidstrom (2002). In 2019-20, Makar captured the Calder Trophy as NHL's top rookie, as well.

During his two-year collegiate career, Makar was named the winner of the 2019 Hobey Baker Award, the first-ever winner from UMass, and helped elevate Massachusetts hockey to unprecedented success in 2018-19 with the program's first-ever Frozen Four appearance.

He finished his collegiate career with 70 points on 21 goals and 49 assists over 75 career contests and as the record holder for career plus-minus at +41, signing with the Colorado Avalanche at the conclusion of the 2018-19 campaign.

Chosen as the Hockey East Player of the Year by unanimous selection, Makar also received the Leonard Fowle Award as New England Player of the Year and the Bob Monahan Award (New England's best defenseman) in addition to being named a Hockey East First-Team All-Star, a New England All-Star and a 2018-19 CCM/AHA Hockey First Team All-American.

Makar was at the center of a historic run for Massachusetts hockey in 2018-19, including program records in wins, conference wins and the team's first-ever Hockey East Regular Season Championship.

The first defenseman in history to lead Hockey East in overall scoring with 49 points in 40 games, Makar finished the year eighth in the nation in points per-game (1.20), sixth in assists per-game (0.80), third in defenseman scoring and second in plus-minus (+32). He was voted the Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Ice Hockey Northeast Regional after leading UMass to a Northeast Regional Championship with a goal, an assist and a +3 rating in 4-0 shutouts of Harvard and Notre Dame. In the national semifinal, Makar logged his 33rd assist of the season and helped the Minutemen earn a spot in the NCAA Championship game for the first time in program history.

Makar broke UMass' single-season records for points by a defenseman and assists by a defenseman in 2018-19, marks previously held by UMass Hall of Famer Thomas Poeck. He is second in program history for single-season assists and fifth for single-season points.

The 2018-19 Massachusetts alternate captain guided the Minutemen to their first No. 1 ranking in school history in the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls, and the No. 4 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. His 16 tallies in 2018-19 bolstered UMass' highest goals total (151) in the program's Hockey East era.

Makar was named No. 1 on ESPN's list of Top 50 NHL Drafted Prospects in March 2019. As a freshman in 2017-18, Makar was a Hockey East Third-Team All-Star and an All-Rookie Team honoree and won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he was one of Canada's three Players of the Tournament and a World Junior Media All-Star Team selection.