4 Nations Face-Off Final: McDavid Embraces Another High-Stakes Moment

For Connor McDavid, the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game against Team USA is more than just another marquee matchup—it’s a bit of a mulligan and preparation for this year’s Stanley Cup Final while showcasing himself on an international stage. While he’s not necessarily been here before, it was just a few short months ago he and his Edmonton Oilers were playing in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup where everything was on the line. He knows what it means to play in one game that means everything.

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“These are the games that you dream of,” McDavid said ahead of Thursday night’s final. It’s Team Canada versus Team USA. The game pits two of the NHL’s biggest stars—McDavid and Auston Matthews—against each other in a best-on-best showdown. It’s also McDavid versus Matthew Tkachuk again — Thachuk got the last laugh and his Florida Panthers won the Cup.

McDavid, captain of the Edmonton Oilers, is no stranger to big moments. He carried his team through the playoffs eight months ago, and he’ll be looking to do so again this season. That game ended in heartbreak, but McDavid’s Conn Smythe-winning performance cemented his status as the game’s premiere player. He’s already made a case to be named player of the tournament at the 4 Nations Face-off, and a big game tonight would put a stamp on it.

McDavid Says This Feels Like Game 7

“I feel like Game 7, Stanley Cup Final, is as big a game as you’re going to play in your whole life,” McDavid said. “It’s good to be able to draw on that experience… playing in big games is something I love to do.”

This game also offers McDavid a chance to learn from a Team Canada roster stacked with Stanley Cup winners. Sidney Crosby said on Wednesday that he’s picking up habits from McDavid, but there’s no doubt McDavid is doing the same with Crosby. He’s a multi-time Cup winner and arguably the best Team Canada player ever. What to do and say in these big moments is something McDavid can take back to Edmonton.

“He’s just calm in these situations,” McDavid said of Crosby. “He’s played in all these big games… and been successful in doing that. A guy like that, you can learn a lot from.”

As McDavid steps onto the ice Thursday night, he does so with a chance to bring a big win to Canada and also prove he can lead a team to a huge win in a game where everything is on the line. There’s no better opportunity to prepare for what could be in the Oilers’ future than tonight.

Next: Brady Tkachuk on the Ice for Team USA, Likely to Play vs. Canada