This story originally appeared in Mile High Sports Magazine. Read the full digital edition.
Nathan MacKinnon lives over 2,500 miles from his mom, Kathy, but you’d never know it.
“She pays my bills, does my laundry, cooks me food,” says the 20-year-old Avs center. “Pretty much everything I don’t want to do. I think she likes taking care of me.”
Kathy travels from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia to Denver to check in on Nathan every four-to-six weeks. She takes care of her only son’s every need as this is the first time he’s lived alone since being selected No. 1 overall by the Avalanche in 2013. During MacKinnon’s first two seasons in the NHL, he lived with teammates – first Jean-Sebastien Giguere, followed by Max Talbot last year. MacKinnon now has his own pad in downtown Denver and loves having mom, dad (Graham) and sister (Sarah) not only visit, but stay with him.
Before moving in with the 36-year-old Giguere, MacKinnon never lived with a billet family, also known as a “host family,” because he played for Halifax of the QMJHL, which was just a 10-minute drive from his hometown of Cole Harbour. Most of his Halifax Mooseheads teammates had host families, as do a majority of players in that league and other major junior leagues.
And even before that, MacKinnon took up residence in a dormitory as a freshman and sophomore in high school while playing prep hockey at Shattuck St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minn. That meant no cooking, cleaning or paying bills for the youngster.
Seeing Nathan leave home at such a young age was hard; especially for Kathy.
“I was only 14 so it’s obviously tough letting her kid go,” MacKinnon admits. “She probably felt like I wasn’t finished being at home or being with my friends and family, but it was a hockey decision and it obviously worked out.”
MacKinnon says he’s very close with his mom and when she’s not in Denver, the two talk on the phone at least twice a week. The youngest member of the Avs describes the family matriarch as exceedingly nice with the kindest of hearts.
“I definitely get my soft spot from my mom, being compassionate and understanding and patient,” says MacKinnon.
“She’s one of the biggest reasons why I’m in the position I’m in now. I’m extraordinarily lucky to have someone like that. My dad [is lucky] to find a wife like that. The person I’d like to marry is someone like my mom for sure.”
As for the household chores and making sure MacKinnon is fed and has clean clothes?
“I don’t think it’s going to stop any time soon,” he says with a smile. “I’m so lucky. She definitely spoils me. She’s the best.”
