You’re looking at one of the most dominant hockey players in the world right now. A player whose intensity rivals the likes of Kobe Bryant and has become one of the best centers in modern NHL History. However, his journey to get to this point wasn't easy. This is the story of Nathan MacKinnon
Growing up in the close-knit community of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, a young Nathan Mackinnon would lace up his skates. Inspired by hometown legend Sidney Crosby, MacKinnon's journey would start on the very same rinks. The town quickly became aware of his talent when Mackinnon recorded 200 points in 50 games when he was 11. Then when he was 12 and 13, he was recording seasons of 110 and 145 points, respectively.
But with promise comes pressure. The whispers began - was this kid the next Crosby? In the world of hockey, comparisons are a double-edged sword. They can lift you as quickly as they can weigh you down. For MacKinnon, every stride on the ice was a battle against expectations.
I think that McDavid and MacKinnon are the two best players in the game right now. But I think MacKinnon has somehow connected to the rest of the team better - I think his struggles have given him an edge that the raw stats alone will never capture. It's breathtaking to watch.
That's exactly how I feel watching him play!
Honest question - what struggles has he faced? I’m a knights fan but I love some MacK.
The oilers are on a lowkey 14 game wining streak 😂
@@gabrielhorowitz8517 being a first overall and not performing like he should've initially. Being on a terrible colorado team (years past) losing in the playoffs etc. all of those things justt about every good player go through but i think combined with his above average compete and watching his peer and role model crosby accomplish all the things he has all contributed to his "struggles." just my opinion which could very well just be shit
ok well now that ive watched the video it pretty much states everything i just said. so maybe just watch the video lol
The absolute speed and puck-handling he displays on that Avs vs GK game is unreal. He is 100% my favorite player of all time.
He pairs well with Rantanen who is an amazing all-around player. MacKinnon's play is energizing and it pushes the entire roster to play more active hockey.
Watching the rise of Mackinnon's game the past 4 years have been an absolute treat. His game is explosive and seeing him now in his prime is incredible. Would not even trade Mackinnon for McJesus if given the chance. He's the most complete player and right now, Avs fans are witnessing greatness that few teams are blessed with.
I respect this opinion. Mcdavid will get more points then Mackinnon, but, Mackinnon brings a physical aspect that Mcdavid doesn't have.
exactly mackinnon has more grit and self accountability than mcdavid who is soft and too self absorbed @@bradleywong6446
I agree. Gotta ask yourself who'd you'd rather have on your team if you absolutely had to win a playoff game.
@bradleywong6446 If you think McDavid isn't physical you just don't watch the oilers lol. The guy is an absolute truck.
@bradleywong6446 in all due respect mcdavid has more hits on the season so mcdavid is more physical on the ice while also being better defensively. But offensively mackinnon is better this season. It baffles me that such a talented player as mackinnon only has 23 takeaways this season but has twice as many giveaways (56).
According to Bednar, he ramped his off ice workouts up this offseason and doing some other things to keep the body in good shape to play high minutes night in and night out. It’s showing and one thing that stands out the most is the strength. Not like he’s ever been weak but the hits he’s putting on some guys this year have been noticeable. Just the other night, he ran over Tom Wilson with ease while he had the puck going to the net. Had to step back and ask myself, “what did I just see”, LOL
I replayed that a few times myself lol
He times his approach onto the puck so well and is super explosive. By the time he picks up the puck, hesa moving freight train
He better win the Hart this year
Bruins fan here…..when they play the Avs it’s a real treat to get to watch McKinnon and Makar play, they are both phenomenal.
The goal you started the video with was one of if not the greatest goals I've ever seen. Unfortunately it got ruined when the Avs lost but if you look at the context of the game and playoffs, it was absolutely mind blowing he did that. Pure nasty
Was such an immense clutch goal. Put the team on his back to clinch the series, would have been a Hollywood ending. Easily would have been the best GWG ever. I’m Pretty bitter his team couldn’t close their legs for the few minutes left of the game.
One avs reporter dubbed it "the library of Alexandria Goal"
Totally Agree, that goal is burned into my mind. At that point in the game, Blues had just tied the game 3-3 and Mackinnon goes the entire length of the ice in 6 seconds and buries it. He's an assassin. I only wish they had won the game on that goal, which would have been the cherry on top.
@letterse7en I'm torn because if that happens we don't get the buzzer beater from Big Diesel. Just very poetic that Mac wasn't the one to carry us there. It took the whole team.
@@juliand6317, I agree 100%. We were 11 rows up, watching him come right at us. It was absolutely nasty.
I must say that even though he gets criticized for his intensity, I firmly believe this team (current) would not have won a cup without him.
McDavid is a gazelle. MacKinnon is a friggin' bull.
I think where MacKinnon beats all others currently in the league is his explosiveness in every aspect, he has the mcdavid skating, matthew’s shooting, and crosbys playmaking, but he does all these things quick. It’s really amazing to see, he just goes so fast that it’s hard to understand what he is doing on the screen.
After Duchene left, Mac and Landy took up the leadership roles. Landy is able to keep Mac focused when he starts to get frustrated. I hope he’s back for the playoffs. Landy is needed. I think the duch move lit a fire under Mac, since that season his numbers sky rocketed and his on and off ice preparation has taken off. His ability to make plays at full speed is something only a few elite players can do, and I’d argue his cross overs and edge works are unmatched. Every time he touches the puck, you feel like he could scor3x
The videos you do are so well done.
MacKinnon's my favourite player at the moment. The combination of speed, physicality and skill is something no other player can match. Most people will say McDavid's the best, but I'll take MacKinnon over him every single time. I love his intensity and power on the ice.
Once duchene left the Avs Mack stepped up and never slowed down since
A lot of people have already forgotten how that single trade turned the whole team around
One of the best trades hands down
Loved this guy in Juniors and then when my team (the Avs) got the number 1 pick that was a time to celebrate. He has NOT disappointed.
Unreal. You telling me that a Team Canada would consist of McDavid, MacKinnon and Makar. Sheeesh.
MacK is just crazy. Like angry and mad. Gotta love it.
He plays pissed off, but in a controlled way LOL
@@TheHockeyVaultexactly like guys like Peter Forsberg, Old School Malkin, And Smyth. Heck, kinda like late 90s Jagr too
Mad as in crazy or mad as in angry
@@erickpalacios8904 both 😅
Mackinnon is a top 3 player in the show. He has more spunk to his game than Mcdavid but Mcdavid has more speed and maybe a slight edge is pure skill. I think Mackinnons game plays better in the playoffs since defense is tighter. So it’s a toss up between the two for me. I’m not trying to disrespect Crosby either but he’s just not as explosive as he once was.
MacKinnon is intense. The fact that makar won a Conn Smythe on that '22 team is a testament to a very strong defenseman.
Nova Scotia proud!! East Coast Represent!
He’s a better version of Peter Forsberg. It’s just insane. You can’t even contain him.
A moving freight train
I remember being surprised & somewhat disappointed we didn't draft Seth Jones.Partly cuz he was a dman,& we desperately needed blueline help at the time.But mostly cuz Jones dad played for the Nuggets,& he kind of grew up around here. Plus I'd never seen Mckinnon play-I grew up in Denver.But as nice of career as Jones has had-THANK GOD Sakic & the Avs knew better-lol. And til 2022,it wasn't just that we kept falling short of a Cup...but hadn't made WCF even in 21 yrs. We were the Cowboys or Philly Sixers today of the NHL til then-lol. But we are so damn lucky in Denver.I work at Ball arena,& with the Nuggets/Avs...& Jokic/Mckinnon-not even mentioning Makar,Rantanen,& Jamal Murray.
Avalanche scouting is insane ahaha, the team they have been able to build.
Hea the best at the moment
Yup
I've been in Denver since '95, the year the Avs came here from Quebec, and have been a huge fan of theirs since day one. That team was just stacked, with the likes of Sakic, Forsberg (my favorite), Roy, and many others. We got 2 cups from that team and could have gotten more if Detroit and Dallas hadn't been so good as well. This team now is the closest thing we've had to those original guys with our newest superstars...Rantanen, Makar, and The Man, MacKinnon!!
Nate DoGG The Super Nova Scotian!
How good is Nate??? He’s a beast!!! 2nd best player in the world and an argument could be made he’s #1 considering he’s actually won a cup. This coming from a die hard oil fan.
That black bean pasta really helped him win that cup
chickpea pasta you scrub 😂
@@howdareyouexist 😆haha dammit!.
29 restored the career of 13. Big Val is playing better than ever the past three seasons. Thats how good MacKinnon is. He can resurrect linemates careers.
Mac Dawg, he got that fight in him. It is what makes him my favorite player in the league right now. This is coming from a Blackhawks fan btw.
What a beast of a player. Damn I hate the way NHL has been towards the olympics. As a Finn I'm furious we still haven't got a chance to see our maybe the best team of NHL-players we've ever had to play together against the best. I know I know, it's nothing compared to team Canada, we are a small country. But still, I think we'd be pretty good. And I feel bad for McDavid and MacKinnon for this. They should be able to represent their country in the biggest tournaments and have a chance to win it all. And about the world cup: it's fine, but it just doesn't feel the same as the olympics.
Real fuggin’ good.
One thing that I think gets overlooked in his career path is that between his 1st and 2nd NHL seasons he put on a LOT of muscle. He really bulked up physically, and it was actually kind of detrimental to his game because it slowed him down and he lost that separation speed. He cut down that extra weight after a couple years, and that's when he started to become truly elite, because he was more able to play his patented speed/skill game while still being strong as an ox.
I feel like Makar has had a big impact on his career also
100% after 2016, be became a monster but still wasnt able to find success until that 2021-2022 season. The whole team is insane and they really clicked as a unit
I agree Mcd should win the MVP this year... still can't believe he lost it in 2017-18 to Taylor Hall. Especially since he played less games and had more points that season.
I am a McDavid fan-boy, but he's a great player, big, strong, quick. A more than worthy rival. Awesome to see lads of Celtic ancestry McDavid, McKinnon, kicking arse.
From the moment rantanen started playing well on 2nd year in nhl, it boosted mackinnons level alot. Dont think it was only confidence which boosted him on 17-18 season.
Hes the best!
Maybe MacKinnon learned that wrist shot from his boss - Joe Sakic. 😮 Love your insight.
a video like this on mario lemieux would be very cool
He puts teams on his back, he's the best in the world
Crosby can only dream about being as good as MacKinnon
😂 Hahaaaa good one! 👍
Do a search for "MacKinnon vs speed skater" & see just how explosive he is from a standing start.
For me, he best suits the label of a Beast. Singlehandedly, he has no peers. I am thrilled to watch McDavid at top speed but MacKinnon is a powerhouse. If he had to, he would go through. He lifts you out of your seat. This is no slight to McDavid as I see him as being the best forward in the game because of his ability to involve the team. MacKinnon is more of a finisher. What a duo!
I'm really curious to see what a McDavid and MacKinnon line would look like if they were to do it for team Canada. Their speed together would be near impossible to stop.
this was like watching a broken record player. this could have been a 2 minute video lmao. mackinnon is a beast tho no doubt about it so explosive
You know why Nate is the best? Because unlike the other great players, he had to fight and change to get to where he is.
I feel like Mack has comparable speed and puck handling skills to McDavid. Thing is though is that Mack has that chip off his shoulder of winning the cup so i could see him being relaxed in the playoffs.
Nate👍👍👍♥️🍀. Go AVS🍀♥️
When he came to the Avs he had great skills … speed, power, shot, hands … but he was poor on D and horrible at the dot. Now he is a 200 foot player and a better than average face off man. But also, he won’t hesitate to drop the gloves when he sees a teammate receive a dirty hit, and he is a beast in a fight. Would McDavid or Matthews do that for a teammate? Not that I have ever seen.
you're pronunciation of Baie-Comeau Drakkar is hilarious
Connor who?
Great video, but misleading title
hes better than mcdavid. connor cant play defense or be physical. mackinnon can
You fear Mcdavid coming up the ice because you can't catch him. You fear Mackinnon coming up the ice because he's a freight train.
@@TheHockeyVaultThe Mac Truck
Been more physical this year and defence immaculate. Amazing player, not better than mcdavid tho. 15 games now
In all due respect mcdavid is better physically and defensively. Mackinnons advanced stats defensively are no where near mcdavids this season. But offensively mackinnon is number 1 for sure. Mckinnon only has 20 hits this season haha. Only 23 takeaways. Under 50 percent in the faceoffs
He’s like a power forward on fucking wheels with his stick glued to the ice 🤣
Yeah go AVS GO
Please keep showing Spurgeon tripping over his feet trying to defend Mack.
Bro has anger problems lol 😂😂😂
Nate can beat up Connor so that’s good enough lol
id say probably pretty good considering everyone is talking about how good he is
MacKinnon should be the captain
What was missing? Easy. Mikko Rantanen.
Mack daddy 🥵
Im mean...He's no sloutch.
Let’s put it this way…MacKinnon is second to only McDavid for average points per game since coming to the NHL. Including those so called terrible seasons.
I feel like the argument between MacKinnon and McDavid comes down to kind like a Gretzky Vs Lemieux vs Lindros VS Jagr time period comparisons. To me, MacKinnon reminds me of a Crosby mixed with Peter Forsberg player arch type combinations. Hes all around a grwat player but he plays better pissed off McDavid is like a Sergei Fedorov mixed with a Jaromir Jagr player arch types because he's incredibly skilled with the puck and stick but with great control and body strength They are single handedly the two best players in the league. But if i were to compare the two. Say, 80s/90s Lemieux or Jagr? I'd pick Jagr over Lemiuex overall because he's just the more complete package. Offensively and Defensively. That's how right now, i view the debate between MacKinnon vs McDavid debate MacKinnon like Crosby is wonderful at the core basics, and imaginative and Situationally intelligent. But like Forsberg he knows how to use his speed and body when and where he has to to make the most competitive impact and change the tide of the game Until i start to see that same kind of confident, consistent competitive drive from McDavid. MacKinnon just edges him out for me. Even though i still believe McDavid to be the superior individually skilled player
Nate > Sid
He's still not one of the best. #1 center this season - but lacks overall
MacKinnon is a dog. Has a fighter champion mentality. That's what McDavid lacks compared to Mack McJesus is much weaker mentally it's like the pressure wears him down where that same hate and pressure makes Mack excel.
He got that mamba mentality
Any argument that MacK is a better or more "complete" player than McDavid is just wrong. The reason he has a cup is because his supporting cast was incredible. This is the first time McDavid has had a consistently strong goalie and defense, and look at the oilers.
Mid
Not that great, actually. Probably belongs in the minors.
Matthews better
🤣🤣 you can't skate or play hockey if you think Matthews compares to MacKinnon
Hart and another Cup this year! Let's goo Nate Dogg!
Hope!
Very good. He could be the only person on a forward line that isn’t held as defensively responsible aka plays to his strengths, and the line will still run through you. Whether it’s him or his buddies that catches him skating around like a goddam lightening bolt. I don’t even like the Avs but you have to be an idiot not to appreciate his get the fuck outta my way style.