It's common knowledge that Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar is one of the best players in the game. But that didn't really hit home for the defenceman until he found himself on the cover of NHL 24, which proved to be a “wow” moment for the 24-year-old.

Via ESPN:

“It's so cool,” Makar told ESPN. “When they were considering me to be a part of this, it was just kinda like a ‘wow' moment. You grow up, you play all these games.”

Makar is a franchise cornerstone for the Avs and has already won numerous individual trophies in four seasons, including the Calder, Norris, and Conn Smythe as the playoff MVP during Colorado's Stanley Cup run last year. Makar told ESPN that he grew up playing the NHL video game in Calgary and remembered when Flames legend Jerome Iginla was on the cover.

Mike Inglehart, the director of design at EA Sports, explained why Makar was the perfect fit to be on the cover of the 24′ edition:

“[Cale] is a massively successful player already at such a young part of his career. We feel he's the kind of player that no matter who you support, you can't help but appreciate what he brings to the ice,” said Mike Inglehart, senior design director at EA Sports and one of the architects of the “NHL 24” edition. “There was a natural fit to not just what he's accomplished, and what people appreciate about him as a player, but also how he embodies some of the features in our gameplay.”

Only two defensemen have been featured on the cover before: Dion Phaneuf and PK Subban.

A full-circle moment for Cale Makar.