Connor McDavid is one of the most recognizable names in hockey, and it’s almost impossible to find a fan who hasn’t heard of him. Most would agree he’s incredibly fast, unbelievably skilled, and arguably the best player in the world. He’s overcome his share of challenges, including injuries, to become the face of the NHL. But how much do fans really know about the man behind the game?
There are a lot of great players in the NHL.
— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) December 13, 2020
Connor McDavid though…is the best of them!
For 4 straight seasons he has been top-2 in NHL scoring.
He will head into this season healthy.
I wouldn't underestimate him. pic.twitter.com/2qvniYlubC
Related: Oilers CEO Offers Insights into McDavid’s Drive and Determination
Granted, there’s only so much fans have a right to know about the athletes they follow. We got a closer look during the recent Amazon documentary the offered a look behind the curtain — frankly, a very close look at McDavid. Still, too much information is not only a bit creepy, it also doesn’t leave much to the imagination. That said, here are some pretty cool facts about McDavid that might make you an even bigger fan.
#16. McDavid Grew Up a Maple Leafs Fan
Let’s get this one out of the way now… Years ago, when asked by Toronto Sun columnist Mike Zeisberger what he would think about playing for his hometown team, McDavid said, “Playing for the Leafs would be a dream come true. I can’t help it — I’ve cheered for them since I was a kid.”
Those comments have followed McDavid to this day. Every Toronto fan will tell you that when McDavid was drafted into the NHL, he was heartbroken. Some will still try to convince you that he’s destined to join the Maple Leafs when his contract with the Oilers expires. It’s not likely either of those things are true, but what is accurate is that McDavid grew up a Toronto Maple Leafs fan.
Talking about how his room was a shrine to his favorite team as a kid, “My childhood room was pretty embarrassing. I had lots of stuff around,” he said. He added that he never owned a Leafs jersey with anyone else’s number on it, but that, “… my dad got one made with my name and my number on it,” said McDavid.
#15. Loyalties to Toronto Went Right Out the Window
What many Toronto fans probably won’t tell you—or perhaps don’t realize—is that McDavid took a bit of a jab at the team before the NHL draft, where he was selected by the Edmonton Oilers. It’s clear that his allegiance to his childhood team isn’t as deep as some might expect.
In a 2015 interview, McDavid was asked if switching loyalties would be difficult if he were drafted by a team other than the Toronto Maple Leafs. He responded candidly, saying, “Not very hard. Your loyalty goes to the team you’re playing for, and with the Leafs and how they’ve been playing of late, it’s hard to be a Leafs fan.”
Essentially, McDavid was giving the political answer, but in doing so, took a shot at the Maple Leafs’ inability to win.
#14: Wore No. 97 Since He was Nine Years Old
While he might have been a Leafs fan early on, one thing has never changed for one of the best players in the world with one of the most recognizable numbers. McDavid has always worn the number 97.
When asked about the Leafs jersey his dad had made for him, and if donned his number, he said, “Yeah, I think I’ve been 97 since I was about nine (years old).”
The jersey represents the year McDavid was born.
#13: McDavid Used to Be a Client Of His New CEO
McDavid is represented by Wasserman and was discovered by the Orr Hockey Group. When he first came into the NHL, and for several seasons, he was specifically represented by now-CEO of the Oilers Jeff Jackson. Jackson had to quit being McDavid’s agent when he took the job with the Oilers. Jackson passed McDavid off to Judd Moldaver.
McDavid was already showing signs of being a tremendously gifted player when Orr first saw him as a youngster. It was at Orr’s hockey legend’s summer camp where Connor developed a friendship with Orr who couldn’t believe the hands, skating ability, and skills with the puck on a 14-year-old.
McDavid went to that camp just hoping to meet Orr. As Sports Illustrated points out, “Rumor had it that Orr would make an appearance, but the days passed and he hadn’t shown. Anticipation built up among the attendees, particularly McDavid.” As the days went by McDavid got more and more nervous and, when Orr finally showed, he proceeded to put McDavid into a headlock. “But that’s the kind of guy he is,” McDavid says. “He’s so warm, so loving. He made it so there was no star-struck phase.”
Related: Penguins Not “Good Enough To Win”, Should “Get Bad Fast” Says Burke
Eventually, McDavid would come to know Orr extremely well and the two became close friends.
#12: Until 4 Nations Face-Off, He Was Never Really Interested in Playing With His Favorite Player
At the time McDavid was drafted, it was hard to argue against Sidney Crosby as the world’s greatest hockey player. Crosby also happened to be McDavid’s favorite player.
The two were often compared as McDavid entered the league and through his first few seasons the debate over who was better remained. Interestingly, as a fresh NHLer, McDavid wasn’t all that interested in playing with Crosby.
It is said that McDavid once alluded to the fact their playing styles were similar and that meant it probably would have been a challenge to play on the same line. He figured they would have clashed more than potentially helped each other. And, considering the competitive nature of McDavid overall, it is believed he preferred to line up against his favorite player to test his skills.
In reality, this is the case for a lot of superstars, especially Crosby who has/had a reputation for being difficult to play with It wasn’t always easy finding him the right linemates in Pittsburgh because other players couldn’t quite figure out what to do to be an asset on Crosby’s line.
This isn’t to say these two wouldn’t have figured out a way to make it work and they may get the chance as part of Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off Team. Both seem excited about the potential to play with each other now. Today, they’re busy passing the compliments back and forth as the media asks who should be the team captain.
#11. Wants to Play Against, But Learn From the Best
It’s this fiery competitive spirit that likely took McDavid to Arizona to practice with Auston Matthews for several straight offseasons. McDavid and Matthews skated together doing drills and testing each other, both hoping to pick up elements of the other’s games heading into the 2020-21 season. For McDavid, Matthews could shoot the puck, something McDavid admittedly wanted to improve. Probably not coincidentally, McDavid scored 64 goals in one season following one of their summers together.
Related: Oilers Will Likely Lose Strong Forward in Seattle Expansion Draft
Goaltender Peter Budaj said the two are good buddies but are also insanely competitive with each other, wanting “to be the guy”. It’s that mutual respect and desire to be the best that made them perfect practice partners.
Off the ice, McDavid and Matthews have become close friends and it will be interesting to see if, one day, there’s ever talk of these two trying to get on the same team. It’s unlikely considering Matthews signed an extension with the Maple Leafs and McDavid is likely to extend with the Oilers around July 1, 2025.
#10. McDavid Did Want to Play With Milan Lucic
Oilers fans probably know this one, but McDavid was asked long before being drafted who he might want to play with one day, and of all the people he could have chosen, he said Milan Lucic. Ironically, it came to be that the two players did play together and it didn’t pan out all that well.
Why did McDavid say Lucic? At the time, Lucic was a horse in the NHL and a pretty productive one at that. McDavid might have loved the idea of having an offensive powerhouse on his line that could take care of business if anyone took liberties. Again, ironically that never really happened either as both were members of the Edmonton Oilers and Lucic was often criticized for picking his spots, not standing up for teammates when he played against his former teams, and taking bad penalties.
Today, McDavid has a different kind of player on his team to fill the Lucic role. It’s Evander Kane. While Kane is currently injured, McDavid went to bat for Kane when it looked like Kane was going to have a tough time getting a job in the NHL after his contract with the San Jose Sharks was terminated. McDavid was willing to overlook and forgive what Kane had gotten in trouble for and knew he’d be a useful part of the team. Kane turned out to be far more effective than Lucic ever was.
#9. His Older Brother Played Hockey Too
As is often the case with big stars, they aren’t the only family members in one household who play/played the game. In fact, more often than not, the Hughes’, Staal’s or Subban’s of the world are rare and one child tends to do well while the other does not.
In the case of McDavid, his older brother Cameron played too. That said, Cameron was not nearly as dedicated to the game, never really elevating himself past the CCHL and COJCHL. Cameron’s last season was in 2011 and he recorded six points in seven postseason games.
It must be tough being the brother of Connor McDavid when both guys set out to play hockey. When you don’t even make it to the NHL and your younger brother goes on to become the best player in the league, it takes a good man to be supportive and not let it get you down.
Cameron is now an associate with DWHP, a healthcare private equity investor company.
#8. McDavid Was Coached By His Dad
When you’re a kid, it’s cool to be coached by your dad. That said, it’s probably pretty rare when someone who reaches the level of excellence McDavid has is coached by pops during some of the most formative years of his life.
Brian McDavid coached his son when he was playing in Aurora, Ontario. The drive and early skill set that McDavid learned that took him into other levels of hockey can, in many ways, be attributed to his father who had him on his junior team. It was a team that went on to win four championships.
Brian was on site when McDavid scored his 1000th NHL point. McDavid’s mom wasn’t healthy enough to make the trip but she made sure Brian was there. McDavid later said that not getting point 1000 when his dad was in the building was not an option.
#7. His Mother Wanted McDavid to be a Skier
While Connor’s dad helped develop his hockey career, interestingly enough, his mother was hoping he’d take up another sport. Early on, Connor’s mom Kelly didn’t believe Connor would turn into the phenom he became and for a long time, wanted him to become a skier.
However, the sport of skiing didn’t stick for McDavid who wanted to spend every waking hour playing hockey; and, eventually, Kelly realized she was never going to get Connor away from the ice. From that point on, she became extremely supportive of his hockey aspirations.
#6. McDavid’s Neighbours Were Hard On Connor’s Parents
What do you do when your kid wants to do something so badly you can’t drag him away from it? For Connor McDavid, that was the case with hockey. He was so driven to improve his skills, that he would go out into the driveway and practice for hours and hours. He wouldn’t leave until he was happy with his own results.
While that’s some serious drive, it also got the neighbors concerned who apparently saw how much McDavid was out there and thought maybe his parents were putting him up to it. Many thought McDavid’s dad Brian was making him practice, which wasn’t the case.
Brian says he did tell Connor that to be the best you had to train and practice, putting in the hard work. At the same time, Brian also couldn’t get McDavid to stop, even when he wanted him to. Apparently, Connor was pretty upset when rumors spread that his parents were forcing him to practice.
#5. His Wife Designed His House
Now that McDavid is a superstar, he’s got some money to spend. With that, he enlisted his then long-time girlfriend, (who became his wife this past summer) Lauren Kyle—an interior designer by trade—to design a house that has garnered plenty of attention.
The house itself is stunning, but its heavy use of black, white, and grey has drawn some criticism. Some have described it as overly minimalist, calling it “depressing” and lacking in color or warmth.
McDavid was once asked about having to scrape his car windows off in the cold winters of Edmonton. He responded that they had a heated driveway, so it wasn’t an issue. She thought of everything.
#4. Connor is Superstitious
Like a lot of hockey players, McDavid is said to be superstitious. We don’t have first-hand knowledge of any of these superstitions, but he’s been noted to have lucky underwear, listen to the same music, take the same amount of shots per day, pack his bag the same way, park in the same spot, and more.
There’s one story of how he asked his mom to sit in the back seat of the car once because his team had won a big game in their previous outing and he was sitting in the front seat on the way to that contest. He was concerned about altering the pattern. We’ll assume he’s not nearly as superstitious now, but most players have their “things.”
For example, his teammate Leon Draisaitl stays out on the ice as the last player at the end of a pre-game warmup and fires the puck down from his own zone into the opposition’s net. He does it without fail and it’s part of his routine.
#3. McDavid Made a Last-Minute, Career-Altering Decision Not To Have Surgery
The story of McDavid’s rehab during the 2019 offseason was well documented. He suffered a nasty knee injury that finished his season and there were questions about his career moving forward. Ligaments were torn away and there was a chance he’d never be the same skater. Under the wire of a looming decision about surgery that would potentially put him out the entirety of the following season, he chose instead to rehab.
It was the type of rehab that had never been done before by an athlete, yet McDavid did it in an incredibly fast amount of time, skating again much earlier than he was supposed to. The Oilers even had to hold him out of pre-season games he wanted to play but medical experts figured didn’t project he’d be ready for.
2. Still the Youngest Captain in NHL History
In 2016, Connor McDavid became the youngest captain in the history of the National Hockey League. It’s a record he still holds to this day. It was a no-brainer for the Oilers as it was easy to see McDavid was going to be the leader of that team for the next decade.
At 19 years and 266 days, he broke the record when he surpassed Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog who was named Avs captain at the age of 19 years, 286 days. Before that, Crosby held the honor.
#1. Has An Affinity For Rebuilding Struggling Teams
For all the talk that McDavid might not have wanted to join the Edmonton Oilers, there’s one thing many of these hockey fans are forgetting. That is, he turns around struggling clubs and makes them contenders.
Prior to McDavid’s arrival, the Erie Otters of the OHL were not a very good team. When McDavid was selected to the team at age 15, there was concern he wouldn’t want to play with the Otters. First, they weren’t in Canada. Second, they struggled… a lot. He signed without blinking and called it “an honor.”
Even with McDavid, in his first season, the Otters missed the playoffs with only 47 points. That didn’t sit well. In his second season, the Otters posted a 106-point season but lost in the playoffs. Eventually, the Otters became league favorites.
Can he do the same thing for the Oilers? McDavid has said he wants to spend his entire career with the Oilers so the plan seems to be that he’ll try. Can he ignore the fact that people have said his talents are being wasted in Edmonton and make the Stanley Cup Champions? He got close last season, taking the team all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. They lost in Game 7 and he’s hoping to finish his story in 2024-25.
Next: How Connor Hellebuyck’s Play Proves He’s the NHL’s Best Goalie
