IN PICS: Nathan MacKinnon makes surprise visit to his hometown rink & Cole Harbour Hockey School

Nathan MacKinnon made a surprise visit to his hometown rink at Cole Harbour Place on Friday. The Colorado Avalanche forward, who won the Stanley Cup in 2022, stopped by the Cole Harbour Hockey School, where 160 kids aged five to 12 were attending the camp.

His visit wasn’t announced, so it came as a big and happy surprise for everyone.

Photos shared on X by B/R Open Ice showed MacKinnon smiling and talking with the kids.

"Nathan MacKinnon made a surprise visit to his hometown rink and the Cole Harbour Hockey School 🥹. Inspiring the next generation of Cole Harbour hockey players 👏," the caption read.

He wore a white t-shirt, a navy jacket and a white cap with the word “Chill” on it. In one image, he stood in front of a group of young players near the boards. In another, he posed for a group photo with the campers and staff.

MacKinnon also took part in a Q&A session. He sat with another speaker, answering questions from the campers. Behind them, banners and sponsor signs were visible. The kids were excited to hear him talk about his NHL journey.

Camp director Jon Greenwood, who once coached MacKinnon, said the visit motivates young players.

"It's great motivation for the young kids in our community that everyone wants to be the next one … but it's always hard," Greenwood said, according to CBC News. "We'll be lucky if we ever have another (Camp in which Mackinnon is present) one."

For the campers, meeting an NHL star from their town made a big impact. Each child left with a signed photo and a great memory to take home.

UFC fighters Royval and Sandhagen praised Nathan MacKinnon

Last month, UFC fighters Brandon Royval and Cory Sandhagen shared stories about meeting NHL star Nathan MacKinnon. Royval shared how he met MacKinnon during a training session. When a teammate told him, he decided to stay and meet him.

"I'm like, 'Oh, I'm staying, bro'...," Royval told Home of Fight's James Lynch. "Ended up just kicking it and then just waiting for him to show up like a little fanboy....This is the top player probably in the world right now."

Royval also shared that MacKinnon is a fan of UFC. Sandhagen also spoke about MacKinnon, mentioning that he trained at his gym.

"Hockey's pretty cool," Sandhagen said. "I like hockey culture... I recently started watching it because a guy named Nathan MacKinnon, who's like one of the better guys in the league right now."

Both fighters had good things to say about MacKinnon and enjoyed their time meeting him.

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Edited by Ribin Peter