Nathan MacKinnon reflects on injuries and ‘awful’ sweep as new Cup journey begins

Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon had a painful end to last season.

Both literally and figuratively.

MacKinnon took a puck to the knee and another to the face in the Western Conference Final against the Vegas Golden Knights. He played in all four games, but not at 100 percent, and the Avs were swept out of the postseason.

Yet another Stanley Cup chance came and went with Colorado exiting the playoffs in unceremonious fashion.

The Avalanche held media day on Wednesday and Nathan MacKinnon talked with the press for the first time since the shocking sweep. He was in a good mood and a sharing one as well — with a lot to unpack.

Here’s nearly two minutes of Nathan MacKinnon, meeting with the media for the first time since the Vegas sweep. Talks about his injuries, the playoff exit and a bunch more — including reaction after losses. A lot of good stuff in here. pic.twitter.com/SNYScxNexj

— Will Petersen (@PetersenWill) September 16, 2026

“Yeah, it just kind of hit my nerve and then my leg just kind of shut down. I got hit with a puck in my nose again, I feel like my nose breaks every year if you can’t tell,” Nathan MacKinnon said with a laugh. “Honestly, the knee thing hurt 10 times more than my face did.”

MacKinnon was clearly beat up versus the Golden Knights, but no one in that series played well for the Avalanche. He said he wasn’t happy with what went down, especially after losing the first two games at Ball Arena.

And the clock is ticking for MacKinnon and this core. They haven’t hoisted the Stanley Cup since 2022, with painful postseason endings year after year ever since.

“We have won, but it feels like a long time. And then watching the Hurricanes win it, they’ve had a lot of playoff failures over the years and just stick with it. They haven’t changed their system, they haven’t changed any coaches, they haven’t changed much at all,” Nathan MacKinnon said. “I think that’s a little bit of inspiration maybe of what our mentality has to be.”

Head coach Jared Bednar is entering the last year of his contract, something he spoke candidly about on Wednesday. MacKinnon endorsed Bednar, but also said the Vegas sweep felt different than the first-round loss to Dallas the year before.

“Obviously, getting swept is awful. It sucks, but it doesn’t feel like it’s the same type of motivation as the Dallas series was maybe for all of last season. I think it’s just sticking with it, we have such an amazing group of guys. It’s so fun to come to the rink with each other,” MacKinnon said. “I hope we win, I think we can. I think we have a good chance.”

MacKinnon then spoke about the grind of the regular season, knowing this year ultimately won’t be judged until the playoffs conclude.

“That’s the goal, that’s what we were here to do. I think we have the group to do it.”

“Obviously the Vegas series was awful and not good enough.”

– Nathan MacKinnon responding to my question about the Avs embarking on another journey that won’t be judged until the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/Uf9uLB46Cl

— Will Petersen (@PetersenWill) September 16, 2026

It’s another good answer by Nathan MacKinnon, again acknowledging that the Golden Knights series was “awful.”

That’s how the fans felt — but with a new season comes a new opportunity.

An 84-game journey to the playoffs will feel like a slog, but the Avalanche want to get back to the Western Conference Final and beyond. MacKinnon mentioned it was six days and Colorado went down 3-0 to Vegas, essentially ending all their hard work in a blink.

“We’re blessed to even be a contender still,” Nathan MacKinnon added.

He knows the window for the Avalanche isn’t infinite, but it’s open for at least a few more seasons.

“We’re not the youngest team in the world but we need to have a great season and I think we will,” MacKinnon concluded.

It was good to hear from Nathan MacKinnon and see him in high spirts. Hopefully, another remarkable ride for Avs fans is about to begin.

And another happy ending is in store, reaching the mountaintop for the first time in five years.

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