NHL Playoffs: Cale Makar Sets Speed Record
In the thrilling matchup on April 21, part of the NHL playoffs, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar made headlines by achieving a remarkable speed of 23.92 miles per hour. This incredible velocity not only sets a new record for the fastest speed recorded by a defenseman in the playoffs, a statistic tracked by the NHL since the 2021-22 season, but it also stands as the peak speed of the current postseason across all player positions.
Breaking Previous Records
Makar’s speed surpasses the previous highest by a defenseman in the playoffs, which was established last season by Noah Hanifin of the Vegas Golden Knights, who reached 23.66 mph. This year, the next closest defenseman is Erik Karlsson from the Pittsburgh Penguins, clocking in at 22.78 mph, more than a full mile per hour slower than Makar.
Additionally, the Los Angeles Kings’ Trevor Moore is another skater to note; he has hit a top speed of 23.48 mph this playoff season, making him the second-fastest after Makar.
Makar’s Speed History
Makar himself had previously attained a top speed of 23.28 mph during last year’s playoffs and hit 23.74 mph in the regular season of 2021-22, which was the fastest he had recorded until this recent achievement.
Looking further back, during the 2025-26 regular season, Makar ranked fifth among defensemen, trailing only behind Jake Sanderson, Mikhail Sergachev, Nikita Zadorov, and Karlsson. His current speed of 23.92 mph is also notable as it only falls short of Sanderson’s top feat of 24.37 mph among defensemen. In the grand picture of speed in the playoffs, Nathan McKinnon, Makar’s teammate on the Avalanche, holds the all-time record at 24.54 mph, set during the 2022 playoffs.
Looking Ahead
The Colorado Avalanche, having swept the Los Angeles Kings in their opening round, are now poised to face off against the winner of the Dallas vs. Minnesota series in the upcoming round.
For further insights into the playoff bracket and betting odds, this data is sourced from NHL EDGE.
This report first appeared on USA TODAY, detailing Cale Makar’s remarkable performance in the playoff speed rankings.
