Nine years after being chosen to lead team to Stanley Cup, Mcdavid and Oilers are close
SUNRISE, FLA. • Nine years and two arena name changes ago, Connor Mcdavid became an Edmonton Oiler in the same building where he has begun a quest to win his first Stanley Cup.
The Oilers opened the Stanley Cup final against the Florida Panthers on Saturday, dropping the series opener 3-0.
It was at Florida’s Amerant Bank Arena, which was then known as BB&T Center, where Mcdavid heard his name called in the 2015 NHL draft.
Mcdavid was an 18-yearold phenom with the hopes of a sputtering franchise resting on his shoulders.
“It has been impressive, really, since he stepped in here as an 18-year-old,” Edmonton forward Ryan Nugent-hopkins, the first overall pick in 2011, said Friday. “One of the most hyped — I mean, the highest-expectation player in a long time. I can’t imagine. Not quite the same for me. There was expectations when I came in, but of course, he’s on a different level.”
It was not, by any measure, a seamless path. Mcdavid’s talent and skill were evident instantly, but the Oilers made the playoffs in only one of Mcdavid’s first four seasons — a second-round exit in 2017 — and didn’t get past the second round until 2022, when they were swept by the eventual champion Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference final.
In 2023, it was another second-round exit, this time at the hands of the eventual champion Vegas Golden Knights.
And while Mcdavid’s individual ability was never questioned, speculation began that it might never work out for Mcdavid in Edmonton.
Those whispers appeared as if they would be proved correct at the beginning of this season. On Nov. 12, the Oilers were 31st of 32 teams in the NHL, with just three wins in 13 games.
That day, general manager Ken Holland fired coach Jay Woodcroft and installed Kris Knoblauch behind the bench.
Knoblauch had previously coached the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League, which just so happened to be where Mcdavid played junior hockey. Mcdavid played for Knoblauch for three seasons.
When Knoblauch was hired, Mcdavid had 10 points in his first 11 games of the season — pretty good for most players but not for him. He finished the regular season with 132 points in 76 games, meaning he scored 1.88 points per game the rest of the way.
After shaking off his tepid start, he hasn’t slowed down in the deepest playoff run of his NHL career.
At the time of year when games get tighter and scoring drops, Mcdavid has five goals and 26 assists for 31 points in 18 playoff games.
Mcdavid’s opening goal in Game 6 of the Western Conference final came when he attacked the goal from the left, slowly dragged the puck past a Dallas defender and then flipped it into the net backhanded.
Singular skill from a singular player in a critical, high-pressure moment. Edmonton beat the Stars 2-1 in that game, despite getting outshot 34-10.
Mcdavid scored one goal and had the primary assist on the other to lead his Oilers, the team he was called upon to save nearly a decade ago, back to a place they haven’t been since he was nine years old.
“He wants to be the best that he can be,” Nugent-hopkins said. “From the time that he was 18, he stepped in here, and we relied upon him to be a leader — not just on the ice, but off the ice. I know that adds a toll to it, too. It’s been impressive and a lot of fun to watch him throughout his career.”
Mcdavid is typically unflappable and poised with the media, if not overly friendly or forthcoming, and that trend didn’t change on the eve of his first Stanley Cup final game.
The NHL’S biggest star just wanted to skip ahead to the part where he gets to play hockey.
“Just excited,” Mcdavid said when asked how he’s feeling.
“Obviously today’s a busy day for everybody, but once it’s over with, it’s just going to be hockey.”