MacKinnon focused on fulfilling dream of Stanley Cup with Avalanche

DENVER --Nathan MacKinnon was 8 or 9 years old when his father, Graham, made a personalized hockey card of his son decked out in hockey gear. On the back, where the player information is usually found, the boy wrote that he one day wanted to be drafted by the Colorado Avalanche and play with Joe Sakic.

Nearly two decades later, MacKinnon is four wins from fulfilling his dream with the Avalanche.
Though the 26-year-old never had the opportunity to play with Sakic, the Hockey Hall of Fame forward was Colorado's executive vice president of hockey operations when it selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft. Nine years later, the kid on the hockey card and his childhood idol are on the verge of something special.
"It's cool," MacKinnon said Tuesday during 2022 Stanley Cup Final Media Day. "Hopefully that can happen. I think it's every kid's dream to be in this position."

In his first eight NHL seasons, MacKinnon and the Avalanche never advanced past the second round of the playoffs. There has been a different narrative this postseason; Colorado is 12-2, with series wins against the Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers.
The toughest test starts Wednesday when the Avalanche face the two-time defending champion Lightning. Though he smiled Tuesday when his childhood card was referenced, MacKinnon said there would be time for such nostalgia after the goal of winning the Cup had been achieved.
"I'm not trying to get caught up in all of this," he said. "This is a brand new series, obviously. Whether it's the first round or the Final, we're playing this one team in this playoff round. I think we have to narrow our focus, stay in the present, just be ready for tomorrow night and go from there."
By all accounts, MacKinnon is ready, especially with the disappointment of years past still lingering. When the favored Avalanche were defeated by the Vegas Golden Knights in six games in the second round last season, his frustration finally bubbled over.
"There's always next year," MacKinnon said then. "It's all we talk about, I feel like. I mean, I'm going into my ninth year next year and haven't won anything | Stanley Cup Final schedule]
It didn't take long for Sakic and the Avalanche to come up with an answer. MacKinnon was the choice.
"He's probably right," Sakic, now their general manager, said with a chuckle Tuesday of Roy's analysis. "Right from when he broke into the League, he can wow and get you to jump out of your seat for sure.
"He has so much speed, explosive speed, not just speed. He's such a powerful guy and no one wants it more than him. He's real competitive and that's what you get out of him. We remember, it's like, you want to win, but you also have to want to entertain."
Since 2013, MacKinnon ranks sixth in regular-season NHL scoring with 648 points (242 goals, 406 assists) in 638 games, all with the Avalanche. Barkov, who was selected No. 2 by Florida, is 25th in that span with 553 points (220 goals, 333 assists) in 596 games. Jones, picked No. 4 by Nashville, is 19th in scoring among defenseman since the 2013 draft with 337 points (70 goals, 267 assists) in 658 games with the Predators, Columbus Blue Jackets and Blackhawks.
"I think those three players have had great careers," Sakic said. "But he was the one game-changer that could really entertain fans as well. We're extremely fortunate we have Nathan on our team."
Roy, who is back coaching Quebec, agrees, especially with what he's seen from MacKinnon this postseason.
"MacKinnon, when he gets on his horse, when he's flying, my God, he's fun to watch," Roy said. "I'm watching 'Mac' play the games, he's getting pushed around, but there's no retaliation. You can tell that he's on a mission."
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Cole Harbour is a community in Nova Scotia eight miles north of downtown Halifax. It is normally a place that cheers for the Pittsburgh Penguins, given that it is also the hometown of center Sidney Crosby.
But with the Penguins having been eliminated in the first round by the New York Rangers, the allegiances have changed, at least for the next couple of weeks. More and more, there are Avalanche flags sprinkled throughout the town in support of MacKinnon, also a Cole Harbour native.
"Hey, I'm cheering for him too," said Troy Crosby, Sidney's father. "I would have rather that I could be cheering for the Penguins in the Final, but that didn't happen. So, I wish [MacKinnon] all the best.
"Nathan is Sidney's neighbor up on the lake, so I've gotten to know him pretty well over the years. They've become great friends. They've filmed Tim Hortons commercials together. He's a very talented kid. It doesn't surprise me the community is in his corner. He's one of ours."
Jon Greenwood echoed those sentiments. He was one of MacKinnon's minor hockey coaches and teachers and remembers the boy starring for the AAA Bantam Cole Harbour Wings when he had 145 points as a 13-year-old.
"You can see how much he wants it, and the community wants it too," Greenwood said in a phone interview from Nova Scotia. "With Nathan in the Final, this area is behind him and the Avalanche. It's normally a Penguins area for obvious reasons, but now Colorado is the team of choice for the upcoming period."
During the offseason, Greenwood runs daily skates at an arena that features MacKinnon, Crosby and Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand.
"They're friends off the ice, but they really push each other on the ice," Greenwood said. "At the end of the sessions, when there are puck battles in the corner, those guys are really competitive. There are no friends in those drills."
Crosby (2009, 2016, 2017) and Marchand (2011) have won the Stanley Cup, something MacKinnon is trying to emulate.
"There's a bit of chirping about it, but Nathan knows what's at stake," Greenwood said. "He doesn't need the incentive. He's already very competitive. And he looks like he's on a mission right now."
For MacKinnon, having the people of Cole Harbour in his corner is just another boost to his confidence.
"A lot of Penguins fans there, and rightfully so," he said. "But yeah, there's always been a lot of support for our team, even when we weren't doing well. Everyone was so supportive and super nice.
"Obviously I'm not around, I don't see it, but I hear about it for sure. Hopefully we can make them super proud."
NHL.com columnists Dave Stubbs and Nicholas J. Cotsonika contributed to this story