The Colorado Avalanche will open the Western Conference Final without their most crucial piece. On Wednesday morning, head coach Jared Bednar confirmed that defenseman Cale Makar will miss Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Bednar told reporters that the right-shot blue liner is officially listed as day-to-day.
Cale Makar will miss Game 1 of the Western Conference Final with an undisclosed injury. #StanleyCup
— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) May 20, 2026
📺: @GoldenKnights vs. @Avalanche TONIGHT at 8p ET on @espn, @Sportsnet, and @TVASports
Read more on Makar ⤵️https://t.co/kmSriV9AIh
Makar has been visibly laboring through an undisclosed injury during the first two rounds of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Despite the nagging ailment, the Calgary native has suited up for all nine postseason games thus far, helping the Avalanche sweep the Los Angeles Kings before dispatching the Minnesota Wild in five games.
Until now, Makar has remained a workhorse, logging at least 23:17 of ice time in eight of those nine contests. The lone exception occurred during Game 1 against Minnesota; after absorbing a heavy hit that forced him to the locker room for part of the night, his ice time plummeted to 17:11, yet he still managed to record two goals and an assist in the win.
Makar has produced five points (four goals, one assist) in the playoffs, following a dominant regular-season campaign where he tallied 79 points in 75 games.