Copyright The Denver Post
SAN JOSE — Taylor Makar landed in Palm Springs and was preparing for a weekend on the road in the American Hockey League, but that all changed with one phone call. Gary and Laura Makar were at home in Calgary, watching Cale and the Colorado Avalanche play in Las Vegas and preparing for a long weekend of consuming sports on the couch, but all that changed with one phone call. When the younger Makar brother got off the plane in Southern California, he learned it was dream-come-true time … up the road in San Jose. “(Cale’s and Taylor’s agent) Brian (Bartlett) called and asked what I was doing,” Gary told The Denver Post. “I said, ‘Just watching the Avs game.’ He said, ‘Are you sitting down?’ Then he goes, ‘Taylor doesn’t know yet, but he’s getting called up and he’s playing tomorrow.’ And I just said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ “You sit back and it’s very cool that it happened so quick, but of course we’ve been dreaming about it the whole time. Especially when Taylor got drafted, it was like, ‘OK, this could be a possibility.’ You start visualizing it in advance. You pinch yourself when it actually happens, though.” It happened Saturday afternoon at SAP Center. Gavin Brindley sustained a concussion Friday afternoon against Vegas, and the younger Makar was off to a strong start with the Eagles in his first full AHL season. The Makar brothers had never played an official hockey game together — Cale is three years older. Taylor made his debut on the fourth line in Brindley’s spot and played 6:07, getting eight shifts. “It’s pretty special,” Taylor said. “Just got off the plane and just heard from Coach that I was going up. It was a pretty exciting moment for sure. … First game ever playing with my brother. That’s awesome. All the guys here supported me, all the staff. It was really nice, made me feel really welcome.” Avs coach Jared Bednar said the younger Makar looked pretty good in his debut. The Avs like that he’s found an identity and tries to play to it — straight line, heavy hockey, as Bednar deemed it. Taylor is a much different type of player than his brother, beyond just being a forward. He’s bigger and stronger, but also may need to adapt and play like a role player to have a successful NHL career. Just getting to the NHL this quickly, particularly after missing all of his first pro training camp with an injury, is a pretty good start. “It’s a kudos to the whole Avs organization,” Gary said. “Ever since we got involved, when Cale met Joe (Sakic) while he was at UMass, you just see how they approach things. We raised them with a total growth mindset. Crap is going to happen, but that’s life. It’s adversity. You’re the guys who have to battle through it. “They’ve both worked so hard. We’ve always said, ‘Look in the mirror. That’s your competition.’ We’re here to help guide you, but that’s where the fire comes from. When they have that drive to get better every day, now you see it come to fruition like this, and it is surreal. I look down there and (Taylor) is sitting beside Nathan MacKinnon on the bench.” The Makar brothers became the first pair of siblings to play together for the franchise since it moved to Denver. The Stastny brothers — Peter, Anton and Marion — all played together for the Quebec Nordiques. While Cale is a phenom-turned-superstar with a plaque in the Hockey Hall of Fame waiting at the end of his career, Taylor’s story is more long-shot made good. The Avalanche drafted the younger Makar at pick No. 220 in the 2021 NHL draft. He spent four years in college — three at UMass where Cale played before using the transfer portal to move to Maine. It was a breakout senior season with the Black Bears, and it ended with signing an NHL contract with Colorado. Taylor made his AHL debut at the end of last season with the Eagles. He spent all of training camp with the Avs, but he was recovering from an injury and didn’t practice with his brother. He did get called back up for the final preseason game, but Cale didn’t play in that one. The younger Makar spent training camp at his brother’s house. It’s the longest they’ve spent together under one roof since they were kids. It was also a chance for Cale to get to his little brother, all grown up, for an extended time. “It was great,” Cale said. “Splitting up some tasks at home. Had him working a bit outside. No, it was good. I usually never get to see him, not even at Christmas. It was nice to have him around for a little bit. “It’s pretty cool to see. I mean, just to see the confidence he’s gotten in the last year. Obviously, he had a great year at Maine. I think he’s felt really at home with the Eagles and pushing for a spot here. I’m excited for him. He’s been working hard.” It was a whirlwind for Gary and Laura, as well as Taylor’s girlfriend, to get to San Jose. There were no direct flights from Calgary to any of the three Bay Area airports in time for the game. Colorado’s director of team services, Erin DeGraff, still made it work. They flew into Vancouver late Friday night, had a hotel by the airport waiting and then a 7 a.m. flight into San Francisco. “We were running on fumes, but it was great,” Gary said. “I didn’t have this on my bingo card. My whole weekend was going to be amped up. We had all these games — we had the Jays to watch, our Calgary Stampeders are in the CFL playoffs, and Cale and Taylor both have games. Then you get that call and it’s just, ‘Yeah, let’s go.’ It’s phenomenal.” When everyone got to the arena, Avalanche head equipment manager Don White had a little surprise for them. Taylor took the ice for warmups with “Makar” on his back. White used some tape to make Cale’s sweater temporarily say, “C. Makar.” “Oh my goodness, that was funny,” Gary said. “I think it made Taylor feel more at ease, too.”
