Mincing words is not in Nathan MacKinnon’s extraordinary skill set.
The Avalanche superstar center burns hot on the ice, and as a teammate, if your effort doesn’t match his, the three-time Hart Trophy finalist will have something to say.
“Sometimes you gotta have some thick skin,” young Avs defenseman Bo Byram said.
If a teammate in practice fails to handle a clean pass, he might hear from MacKinnon. If he puts a pass in MacK’s skates or behind him more than once, he’s bound to say something.
It’s tough-love leadership, and the Avs say they fully embrace it.