McDavid Knows What “Gutted” Blue Jays Are Feeling After Game 7 Loss

The Toronto Blue Jays came within inches of a World Series Championship, only to see it slip away. Connor McDavid, no stranger to heartbreak in Canadian sports, shared his empathy for the players, knowing exactly how bad that “gutted” feeling hurts.

Connor McDavid and almost every other player on the Edmonton Oilers roster know precisely how the Blue Jays are feeling after their heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday night. Speaking after the Oilers’ 3-2 overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks, McDavid talked about how strange it was to have the game on the big screen during the second period of their game, but also that they understand how invested fans were in the outcome of a baseball game that had little to do with why fans were at Rogers Place to begin with.

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The Jays lost 5-4 in 11 innings despite holding an early 3-0 lead and being two outs from a championship. At one point, fans throughout Rogers Place — and likely around Canada — thought the Blue Jays might have won it when Isiah Kiner-Falefa almost beat the force out at home plate. He didn’t, and the Jays stranded the other runners, eventually falling to another home run that sealed it for the Dodgers.

The Jays gave Canada hope, much as the Oilers have for two straight seasons. The last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup was in 1993. Fascinatingly, that’s the same year a Canadian franchise won baseball’s ultimate prize.

That the Oilers weren’t able to get the job done, and that the Blue Jays let it slip away, is a feeling of disappointment the two teams can share.

McDavid Gutted For the Blue Jays

“It was a historic moment and I couldn’t be more gutted for those guys,” McDavid said. “Obviously we know what that feels like, and for it to happen the way it happened, I’m just completely gutted for those guys. It was a fun run, they’ve given Canada a lot to cheer about and they should be very, very proud of themselves.”

McDavid’s perspective comes from personal experience. The Oilers fell in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final and in the playoffs last season. Both were heartbreaking losses for the Florida Panthers in two series that the Oilers could— and, some believe, should — have won. “Throughout the summer and the last two months especially, [the Blue Jays] really brought people together and that’s what it’s all about,” McDavid said.

With so many Oilers players from the Ontario area, McDavid admitted it was distracting to follow the game while on the ice. He was able to get the job done, as he contributed three assists, including one on Evan Bouchard’s overtime winner.

“That was really, really strange,” McDavid said. “I found myself watching the Jays game sitting on the bench… listening to the crowd while I’m on the ice, wondering what just happened?”

Defenseman Bouchard, along with several other Oilers, admitted it was tough to stay fully focused with the baseball game playing. Bouchard said that being from Ontario is one of the reasons it was tough to stay focused. The team was glad the arena stopped playing the game in the third period.

The Oilers can feel for the Jays, as does much of Canada. All they can do about it now is turn on the jets and try to win the Stanley Cup in 2026. Bringing a championship back to Canada won’t erase the Blue Jays’ heartbreak, but it helps.

Next: McDavid Fires Back After Media Criticism of Bouchard