| Connor McDavid | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 McDavid with theEdmonton Oilers in February 2022 | |||
| Born | (1997-01-13)January 13, 1997 (age 28) Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 194 lb (88 kg; 13 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team | Edmonton Oilers | ||
| National team |  Canada | ||
| NHL draft | 1st overall,2015 Edmonton Oilers | ||
| Playing career | 2015–present | ||
Connor Andrew McDavid (born January 13, 1997) is a Canadian professionalice hockeycentre andcaptain of theEdmonton Oilers of theNational Hockey League (NHL). Selected first overall by the Oilers in the2015 NHL entry draft, McDavid is widely considered one of the best players in the world.
McDavid spent his childhood playing ice hockey against older children. Coached by his father, McDavid won fourOntario Minor Hockey Association championships with the York Simcoe Express, but he left the team in 2011 to join theToronto Marlboros of theGreater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL). There, McDavid was named the GTHL Player of the Year and the winner of theTim Adams Memorial Trophy. He was grantedexceptional player status in 2012 byHockey Canada, which allowed him to begin playingjunior ice hockey at the age of 15. TheErie Otters of theOntario Hockey League (OHL) selected him first overall in that year's draft, and he played there until 2015. McDavid's OHL career concluded with a2014–15 season in which he recorded 120points and received a number of OHL andCanadian Hockey League (CHL) awards, including theRed Tilson Trophy,Wayne Gretzky 99 Award, andCHL Player of the Year awards. McDavid also representedCanada at several international competitions during this time, winning gold medals at the2013 IIHF World U18 Championships and2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
After finishing his junior hockey career, McDavid joined the Oilers for their2015–16 season. Despite missing three months of his rookie season due to a fracturedclavicle, he was named to theNHL All-Rookie Team and was a finalist for theCalder Memorial Trophy. The following year, the Oilers appointed 19-year-old McDavid the youngest captain in NHL history. Recording 100 points during the2016–17 season, at the age of 20, McDavid became the second youngest player to win theArt Ross Trophy for the leading scorer in the NHL. He was also awarded theHart Memorial Trophy,Ted Lindsay Award, and was selected to theNHL First All-Star Team. Although the Oilers missed theStanley Cup playoffs during the next two seasons, McDavid scored 41 goals in consecutive years. He injured his knee in the final game of the2018–19 season but underwent a nonsurgical rehabilitation process that allowed him to return in time for the start of the2019–20 season. In2020–21, despite theCOVID-19 pandemic shortening the NHL season to only 56 games, McDavid recorded 100 points for the fourth time in his career. In2023–24, McDavid captained the Oilers to theStanley Cup Final, their first since2006. McDavid went on to win theConn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, becoming only the sixth player, and first sinceJean-Sébastien Giguère in2003, to win the award despite not winning the Stanley Cup.
He is a four-time NHL First Team All-Star, a five-time recipient of theArt Ross Trophy, a four-time winner of theTed Lindsay Award, a three-time recipient of the Hart Memorial Trophy, and theMaurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner for2022–23 as the league's leading goal-scorer. His opponents have praised his speed on the ice, and McDavid has won Fastest Skater at theNHL All-Star Skills Competition four times. He is one of only two players – after fellow Oilers captainWayne Gretzky in1982 – to unanimously win the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league'smost valuable player.
McDavid was born on January 13, 1997, inRichmond Hill, Ontario.[1] His mother, Kelly, played one year of recreational ice hockey as a child before turning her attention towards skiing, while his father, Brian, was a high school ice hockey player and dedicatedBoston Bruins fan.[2] McDavid began playing hockey around the age of three, practicing onrollerblades in the family basement.[3] He began playing organized youth hockey the next year, as his parents lied about his age to allow him to play with five-year-olds.[4] When he was six, the local youth hockey association in his hometown ofNewmarket forbade McDavid to play against older children, and his parents, believing that he would be "bored out of his mind" inhouse league hockey, enrolled him in anAurora, Ontario, hockey program.[5] From there, he won fourOntario Minor Hockey Association championships with the York Simcoe Express, a team coached by his father.[5] In 2009, McDavid participated in theQuebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with his York Simcoe team, which also featured future professional ice hockey playerSam Bennett.[6]
In 2011, McDavid left the Express for theToronto Marlboros of theGreater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), the team that he and his father had defeated in the previous year'sOntario Hockey Federation championship. The decision came at a social cost, as he lost many of the friends that he had made with York Simcoe.[7] He won the GTHL Player of the Year Award in 2012 after scoring 33goals and recording 39assists in 33 regular season games. McDavid added another 19points (11 goals and eight assists) in sevenOHL Cup games, the most by any player sinceSam Gagner recorded 17 points in five games during the 2005 tournament.[8] Although he received theTim Adams Memorial Trophy as the tournament MVP, McDavid's team was defeated 2–1 in the OHL Cup final by the Mississauga Rebels.[9]
Although McDavid contemplated playingNCAA Division I hockey, he ultimately decided to enter thejunior ice hockey circuit as an adolescent rather than waiting to begin a college career.[10] McDavid applied forexceptional player status throughHockey Canada, and after passing through evaluations of his athleticism, academics, and maturity, he was allowed to enter the junior hockey draft at the age of 15 rather than 16.[11] He was only the thirdOntario Hockey League (OHL) player to be granted such an exception, followingJohn Tavares in 2005 andAaron Ekblad in 2011.[12] On April 7, 2012, theErie Otters selected McDavid first overall in the2012 OHL Priority Selection,[13] and he signed with the team that June.[14] As the first overall selection in that year's OHL draft, McDavid was the recipient of the 2012Jack Ferguson Award.[15]
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McDavid joined the Otters for the2012–13 season, where he scored his first OHL goal on September 21, in an 8–2 loss to theLondon Knights.[16] That October, he was named the OHL Rookie of the Month after recording at least one point in all 10 games he played.[17] He took home the award again in November with a rookie-leading 17 points in 13 games.[18] That same month, McDavid became the youngest OHL player ever to participate in theSubway Super Series.[19] In January and February, the physical toll of moving from minor to junior hockey, as well as frustration playing for the last-place Otters, limited McDavid's effectiveness on the ice, and his scoring began to slow.[20] On March 10, 2013, despite the Otters falling 6–4 to theOwen Sound Attack, McDavid picked up his 37th assist of the season, setting a franchise record for rookie assists. It was also his 62nd point of the season, tying withTim Connolly for the most rookie points in Otters history.[21] He went on to record four more points in the regular season, breaking Connolly's record.[22] McDavid finished his rookie season with 25 goals and 41 assists in 63 regular season games, second in scoring toNikolay Goldobin among all OHL rookies. In addition to being named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team, McDavid took home the 2013Emms Family Award for OHL rookie of the year.[23] He was also a finalist forCHL Rookie of the Year, a title which ultimately went toValentin Zykov of theBaie-Comeau Drakkar.[24]
In contrast to their poor finish during the previous season, the Otters opened the2013–14 season with 25 points in their first 15 games, including a 10-game winning streak. During this stretch, McDavid personally had five goals and 28 points, three points behind OHL leader and teammateConnor Brown.[25] He was named the OHL Player of the Month in October and received another Subway Super Series selection, appearing as the youngest player in the tournament for the second year in a row.[26] After experiencing two consecutive four-point outings in an 11–2 win against thePlymouth Whalers and 6–1 victory over theWindsor Spitfires in March, McDavid was named both the OHL and CHL Player of the Week. Later that week, his 25th goal of the season helped the Otters to reach 100 points as a team for the first time since 2001.[27] He finished the regular season fourth in the OHL with 99 points (28 goals and 71 assists) in 56 games. His 20penalty minutes, meanwhile, were the lowest among the top 12 scorers in the league, and McDavid was awarded theWilliam Hanley Trophy for the most sportsmanlike player in the OHL.[28] With a 92 per cent average at McDowell High School, McDavid both won the 2014Bobby Smith Trophy for the OHL's Scholastic Player of the Year[29] and was named the 2014CHL Scholastic Player of the Year.[30] He was also named to the OHL Second All-Star Team alongside OttersdefencemanAdam Pelech and coachKris Knoblauch.[31] The Otters, meanwhile, finished the regular season second in the OHL, and McDavid added an additional four goals and 19 points in 14 postseason games before Erie fell to theGuelph Storm in the Western Conference finals.[32]
The Otters named McDavid theircaptain for the2014–15 season during training camp.[33] McDavid recorded at least one point in all but one of the first 18 games of the season and led the OHL with 51 points before breaking his hand in afight with Bryson Cianfrone of theMississauga Steelheads on November 11. McDavid had already recorded a goal and assist at the time of his injury, giving him aGordie Howe hat trick, but was forced to miss both the Subway Super Series and several regular season games.[34][35] He missed six weeks of the regular OHL season, first to injury and then international competition, before returning on January 8 for a 4–3 defeat from theSarnia Sting.[36] Shortly after his return, McDavid was named the captain of Team Cherry at the 2015CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game; teammateDylan Strome was selected to captain Team Orr.[37] After recording his first OHLhat-trick on February 25 against the Guelph Storm, McDavid recorded his 100th point of the season with a goal and assist against the Owen Sound Attack. He was the fourth OHL player that season to reach 100 points, doing so in only 38 games due to his injury, and was named OHL Player of the Month for February.[38] He finished the regular season with 44 goals and 120 points in 47 games, with at least one point in all but two of those games, and he led the OHL with a +60plus–minus rating.[39]
At the end of the 2014–15 season, McDavid received a number of awards from the OHL and CHL. In addition to winning the Bobby Smith Trophy and CHL Scholastic Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, he was also named to the OHL First All-Star Team, received theRed Tilson Trophy for the most outstanding player in the OHL, theCHL Player of the Year title, and theCHL Top Draft Prospect Award.[40][41][42] Although the Otters were defeated in theJ. Ross Robertson Cup finals by theOshawa Generals,[43] McDavid recorded 21 goals and 49 points in 20 postseason games, including two goals and six points in five championship series games, and received theWayne Gretzky 99 Award for the most valuable player in the OHL playoffs.[44] With five individual OHL awards in his three-year career, McDavid also finished his junior hockey tenure as the most decorated player in league history.[45] Altogether, McDavid had 285 points in his career with the Otters, 24 fewer than franchise leaderBrad Boyes, and led the franchise with 188 assists.[46]
TheEdmonton Oilers of theNational Hockey League (NHL), who were coming off of a 24–44–14 season, selected McDavid first overall in the2015 NHL entry draft.[47] On July 3, 2015, he signed a three-year,entry-level contract with the team; the total deal was worth $11.3 million, including up to $3.775 million annually in bonus incentives.[48][49] He made his NHL debut on October 9, 2015, nearly scoring twice but stopped byBrian Elliott both times in a 3–1 loss to theSt. Louis Blues.[50] His first goal came five days later in his third NHL game, when McDavid scored onKari Lehtonen in the second period of a 4–2 loss to theDallas Stars.[51] On November 3, in his 13th NHL game, McDavid suffered a fractured leftclavicle after a collision into the boards withBrandon Manning andMichael Del Zotto of thePhiladelphia Flyers.[52] At the time of the injury, he had five goals and 12 points through those 13 games.[53] He missed a total of 37 games with the injury, by which point the Oilers had fallen well out of playoff contention, but returned on February 3 with a goal and two assists in Edmonton's 5–1 victory over theColumbus Blue Jackets.[54] On February 11, while facing his hometownToronto Maple Leafs, McDavid was involved in all five of the Oilers' points: in addition to scoring twice, he also had assists on every part ofJordan Eberle'shat trick. That single-game performance helped boost McDavid to tenth overall in NHL rookie scoring at that point, despite playing in only his 19th game of the2015–16 season.[55] Despite appearing in only 45 games due to injury, McDavid finished his rookie season with 16 goals and 32 assists, fourth in rookie scoring. He was third place inCalder Memorial Trophy voting, behindShayne Gostisbehere of the Philadelphia Flyers and winnerArtemi Panarin of theChicago Blackhawks, and all three players were named to the 2015–16NHL All-Rookie Team.[56]
On October 5, 2016, the Oilers named McDavid their captain for the2016–17 season. At 19 years and 266 days old, McDavid became the youngest captain in NHL history, unseatingGabriel Landeskog, who was 20 days older when he became captain of theColorado Avalanche in September 2012.[57] After a 10-game goal drought early in the season, McDavid recorded his first NHL hat-trick on November 19 in a 5–2 victory over the Dallas Stars.[58] The following month, on December 18, 2016, he scored his firstshootout goal againstBen Bishop to defeat theTampa Bay Lightning 3–2.[59] With two assists against theNew Jersey Devils on January 13, McDavid became the first player to reach 50 points during the 2016–17 season.[60] Five days later, he recorded his 100th NHL point with an assist onZack Kassian's goal against theFlorida Panthers.[61] He reached the milestone in only 92 games, followingWayne Gretzky (61 games) andBlair MacDonald (85) as the third-fastest Oiler to reach 100 career points.[62] With a league-leading 16 goals and 56 points halfway through the season, McDavid earned his firstNHL All-Star Game selection in 2017, playing on the same line asAnaheim Ducks rival forwardRyan Kesler for thePacific Division team.[63] He also won Fastest Skater at theNHL All-Star Skills Competition with a time of 13.02 seconds.[64] In the final regular season game of the year, McDavid recorded two assists to finish the season with 100 points. In doing so, he became the youngest player (just four months past his 20th birthday) to win theArt Ross Trophy for the NHL scoring leader since a 19-year-oldSidney Crosby won in the2006–07 season.[65] Playing in all 82 games of the season, McDavid recorded 30 goals and 70 assists for 100 points, with at least one point in 59 games and a 14-game point streak to close out the regular season.[66]The Oilers ended a 10-year playoff drought on March 29, 2017, when they defeated theLos Angeles Kings to clinch a berth in the2017 playoffs.[67] McDavid scored his first NHL postseason goalshort-handed in the Oilers' 2–0shutout win over theSan Jose Sharks in the opening-round series.[68] Edmonton defeated the Sharks in six games of the best-of-seven series and went on to face the Anaheim Ducks in the second round.[69] That series went to seven games, with the Oilers falling 2–1 in the winner-takes-all match.[70] McDavid added five goals and nine points in 13 playoff games before elimination.[71] Once the Stanley Cup playoffs concluded, McDavid was honoured at the 2017 NHL Awards with theHart Memorial Trophy for the most valuable player in the NHL, theTed Lindsay Award for the most outstanding player as decided by theNational Hockey League Players' Association, and a selection to theNHL First All-Star Team at centre.[72]
On July 5, 2017, McDavid signed an eight-year, $100 million contract extension with the Oilers, which went into effect at the beginning of the2018–19 season.[73] His second hat-trick, meanwhile, came in the first game of the2017–18 season, when McDavid scored every Edmonton goal in their 3–0 shutout of theCalgary Flames.[74] With a team-leading 14 goals and 45 points by the halfway point of the season, McDavid won the fan vote to captain the Pacific Division at the 2018 NHL All-Star Game, his second such selection.[75] He successfully defended his Fastest Skater title at the Skills Competition, completing the course in 13.454 seconds to narrowly defeatBrayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning.[76] On February 5, shortly after the All-Star Game, McDavid had his first NHL four-goal game with a 6–2 win over the Lightning, breaking Edmonton's 0-for-17power play cold streak in the process.[77] McDavid's third hat-trick of the season came on February 18, when he broke both the Oilers' six-game losing streak and the Colorado Avalanche's 10-game at-home winning streak.[78] While the Oilers finished the season well outside of playoff contention, finishing 17 points behind the Avalanche in the wild-card race, McDavid set career highs with 41 goals and 108 points along with 67 assists, and he led the NHL with 84 even-strength points.[79] Although his team's poor performance left McDavid out of serious contention for the Hart Trophy,[80] he became the first player to receive the Art Ross Trophy in back-to-back years sinceJaromír Jágr in 2000 and 2001. McDavid additionally took home the Ted Lindsay Award for the second consecutive season and second time altogether and was named to the NHL First All-Star Team.[81]
With a point in all nine of the Oilers' first goals of the 2018–19 season, McDavid brokeAdam Oates's record, set in1986–87, when Oates was involved in theDetroit Red Wings' first seven goals of the season.[82] With an overtime goal against Chicago Blackhawks goaltenderCam Ward on October 28, McDavid became the first Oiler to record at least 17 points through the first 10 games of an NHL season sinceMark Messier in1989–90.[83] On December 13, with two assists in his 240th NHL game, McDavid became the ninth player to reach 300 points before his 22nd birthday and tiedEvgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins as the 21st century NHL player to reach the milestone in the fewest games.[84] While serving as the Pacific Division captain at his third consecutive NHL All-Star Game,[85] McDavid set an NHL record with his third Fastest Skater victory, defeatingJack Eichel andMathew Barzal with a speed of 13.378 seconds.[86] On February 22, McDavid received a two-game suspension from the NHL Department of Player Safety for what was deemed an illegalcheck to the head ofNew York Islanders defencemanNick Leddy.[87] He finished the season with a career-tying 41 goals, as well as a career-high 75 assists and 116 points. On April 6, 2019, the final game of the season, McDavid crashed into the Calgary Flames' net at a velocity of over 40 km/h (25 mph), slamming his left knee into the post. He was diagnosed with a complete tear of theposterior cruciate ligament andpopliteus muscle, tears to both themedial andlateral meniscus, and atibial plateau fracture.[88] With the Oilers already eliminated from possible playoff contention, McDavid elected not to undergo surgery but to participate in an extensive rehabilitation program that would allow him to return in time for the beginning of the next season.[89][90][91] The season also saw significant developments for the Oilers as a team, with general managerPeter Chiarelli sacked midway through in January 2019 after years of criticism for his inability to assemble a competitive team around McDavid.[92][93][94] Subsequently,Ken Holland was hired as the team's new general manager.[95] Despite the continued team difficulties, McDavid became a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy for the second time in his career. He came in third behind Sidney Crosby andNikita Kucherov in Hart Trophy voting.[96] He became the first player sinceSteven Stamkos in2012 to be a top three finalist for the Hart Trophy despite being on a team that failed to qualify for the playoffs.[97][98] McDavid also received his third NHL First All-Star Team selection, finishing ahead of Crosby in voting for centre.[99]
McDavid started the2019–20 season as the NHL First Star of the Week with 12 points through the first five games of the year, all of which the Oilers came back from behind to win.[100] With the first goal of his hat-trick against the Anaheim Ducks on November 10, McDavid reached 400 NHL points in 306 games, joining Sidney Crosby as the only other active NHL player to reach the milestone in that many games. It was also 64 days before his 23rd birthday, making McDavid the eighth player to record 400 points before turning 23.[101] Five days later, McDavid recorded another hat-trick as part of a career-high six-point game against the Colorado Avalanche.[102] Although he reached 50 points on December 1 in a 3–2 win against theVancouver Canucks,[103] McDavid's scoring pace began to slow after his pair of hat tricks: he recorded 48 points in the first 25 games of the season but only 10 in the next nine, a stretch which also included four pointless outings.[104] McDavid made his fourth All-Star Game appearance in 2020 as captain of the Pacific Division.[105] He was kept from a fourth consecutive Fastest Skater win by Mathew Barzal, who finished the course in 13.175 seconds, ahead of McDavid's 13.215-second lap.[106]With their February 9 outing against theNashville Predators, during which Draisaitl scored twice and McDavid had an assist, the pair became the first teammates to reach 30 goals and 80 points apiece in 55 games sinceMario Lemieux and Jaromír Jágr with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the1996–97 season.[107] McDavid injured his knee in a collision withDante Fabbro during the second period of that game, and although the knee itself did not suffer any serious damage, MRI scans revealed aquadriceps injury.[108] He missed six games before returning on February 23 for a three-point outing in the Oilers' 4–2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings.[109] By the time that the NHL indefinitely suspended the season on March 12 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, McDavid had 34 goals, 63 assists and 97 points in 64 games.[110] When the NHL returned to play that July for the2020 playoffs, McDavid was one of 31 skaters that the Oilers took into their quarantine bubble.[111] He added an additional five goals and nine points in four postseason games before the Chicago Blackhawks eliminated the Oilers in the qualifying round.[112] That included a postseason hat-trick in Game 2 to help the Oilers to a 6–3 win.[113]
On January 14, 2021, in the second game of thepandemic-shortened2020–21 season, McDavid scored the first hat-trick of any player that year as the Oilers won 5–2 against the Vancouver Canucks.[114] With eight goals and 14 assists in the first 11 games of the season, McDavid joined Wayne Gretzky as the only Oilers in history to reach 20 points in 11 games during back-to-back seasons, a feat for which he was named the NHL North Division Star of the Month for January.[115] His 500th career point came on an assist against theWinnipeg Jets on February 17. The point came in McDavid's 369th NHL game, tying Sidney Crosby as the eighth-fastest player to reach the milestone.[116] Four days later, he had anatural hat-trick and a five-point game in a 7–1 rout of the Calgary Flames.[117] He won the North Division Star of the Month again for March after recording 23 points in 14 games, including an 11-game point streak between March 6 and 29.[118] On May 9, 2021, in only the 53rd game of the pandemic-shortened season, McDavid reached his 100th point of the year in a four-point outing against the Canucks. He was the first player to reach the milestone in so few games since Mario Lemieux during the1995–96 season.[119] He finished the season with 33 goals and a league-leading 72 assists for a league-leading 105 points in all 56 games, 21 more than runner-up and teammateLeon Draisaitl, and took home his third career Art Ross Trophy.[120] At the end of the regular season, he was named to his fourth NHL First All-Star Team,[121] won his third Ted Lindsay Award, and joined Wayne Gretzky as the only players in the 97-year history of the award to win the Hart Memorial Trophy by unanimous selection.[122]The Oilers were unexpectedly swept by the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the2021 playoffs, with McDavid recording only one goal and three assists in the four-game series.[123] The officiating standards during the playoffs subsequently became a public point of contention, with McDavid joining many fans and commentators in saying that referees allowed the Jets' players to foul him with impunity. It was noted that McDavid did not draw a single penalty during the series against the Jets, and had only drawn one in the preceding year's playoff series against the Chicago Blackhawks. McDavid asked that referees "call the rule book, that's what it's there for."[124][125]
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McDavid began the2021–22 season on a 17-game point streak, which came to an end on November 23, 2021, in a 4–1 loss to the Dallas Stars. It was the eighth-longest point streak to begin a season in NHL history and the third-longest for the Oilers, behind Wayne Gretzky's 51- and 30-game streaks in1983–84 and1982–83, respectively.[126] While the Oilers started the season with a franchise-best 9–1 record, McDavid and Draisaitl became the first pair of Edmonton teammates to individually reach 20 points within the first 10 games of the season since Gretzky andJari Kurri in1984–85.[127] After an excellent start to the season, both the Oilers and McDavid began suffering a marked decline in results, culminating in a 2–11–2 stretch of games in December and January. By early February they had dropped out of a playoff spot. Amidst extensive media discussion of the Oilers' lack of depth scoring and questionable goaltending, general manager Holland fired coachDave Tippett and replaced him withJay Woodcroft, previously the coach of the OilersAHL affiliateBakersfield Condors.[128][129]McDavid was once again selected as the captain of the Pacific Division team at the 2022 NHL All-Star Game,[130] where he was upset byJordan Kyrou of the St. Louis Blues in the Fastest Skater competition.[131] The Oilers recovered their form under Woodcroft, finishing the season in second place in the Pacific Division to qualify for the playoffs after posting the third-best points percentage in the league after the coaching change with a 26–9–3 record.[132] McDavid finished the season with 44 goals, 79 assists and 123 points in 80 games to secure his fourth career Art Ross Trophy.[133] This point total was eight points more than runner-upJohnny Gaudreau of the Calgary Flames andJonathan Huberdeau of the Florida Panthers, who both finished with 115 points.[134] McDavid was again named a finalist for both the Hart Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award.[135][136]The Oilers advanced in the2022 playoffs to meet the Los Angeles Kings, seen as favourites to advance beyond the first round for only the second time in McDavid's career.[137] The Kings proved a greater challenge than many had expected, and after five games led the series 3–2. With the Oilers facing elimination in Game 6 inLos Angeles, McDavid led the team to victory, posting a goal and two assists in a game-leading 24:02 minutes of ice time to force Game 7.[138] Two days later, McDavid had a primary assist onCody Ceci's game-winning goal, before burying a backhand shot in the final minutes to secure a 2–0 Oilers win and clinch the series. McDavid's four goals and 10 assists led the league in the first round of the playoffs, and he became only the second player in history to record six multi-point games in a single playoff series.[139][140] The Oilers drew the Calgary Flames in the second round, the first playoff "Battle of Alberta" in 31 years.[141] With two goals and four assists in the first two games of the second round, McDavid hit 20 career playoff points in the fewest games of any player in 30 years.[142] McDavid scored the series-clinching goal in overtime in Game 5 to send the Oilers to the Western Conference Final for the first time since2006.[143] The Oilers were ultimately defeated by the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche, the eventual Stanley Cup champions, in a four-game sweep, bringing the postseason to an end. With 10 goals and 23 assists for a total of 33 points, he led all players in scoring in the 2022 playoffs. He became the first player sincePeter Forsberg in 2002 to be first in scoring without playing in the final round.[144][145]
On October 12, 2022, during the Oilers'2022–23 season opener against the Vancouver Canucks, McDavid scored a hat-trick and increased his total career points to 700. This made him the sixth-fastest player in NHL history to reach the milestone, and the fastest player since the 1980s.[146] In a season marked by increased scoring generally across the league, McDavid once again led the league in points from the beginning, this time while also scoring goals at the highest pace of his career thus far.[147][148][149] On January 22, McDavid scored his 40th goal of the season in a win over the Vancouver Canucks, becoming the fastest NHL player to notch 40 goals in a season sincePavel Bure during the1999–2000 season.[150] McDavid reached 800 career points against the Philadelphia Flyers in a February 21 game, the fifth-fastest pace of any player in league history.[151] That game was the first of four consecutive two-goal games that saw him reach the 50-goal mark for the first time in a single season on February 27.[152] He notched a fifth consecutive two-goal game on March 1, becoming only the fifth player in league history to do so.[153] With a goal and an assist in a game against theOttawa Senators on March 14, he reached 129 points on the season, surpassing Nikita Kucherov's 21st-century record set four years prior in 2018–19.[154] He then reached the 60-goal mark for the first time in his career on March 22, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime against theArizona Coyotes. He was only the fourth player to do so in the 21st century, and, in 72 games, reached it faster than anyone since Mario Lemieux in1995-96.[155] McDavid scored his 64th goal on April 8, which made him the sixth player in NHL history to hit the 150-point threshold,[156] whilst leading the league in goals for the first time in his career. He finished the season with 64 goals and 153 points, winning his fifth (and third consecutive) Art Ross Trophy and, for the first time in his career, earning theMaurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for leading the NHL in goal-scoring. He was the first Oiler to win the Richard Trophy, and the first tolead the NHL in goals since Gretzky in 1986–87.[157] His 64 goals were one short ofAlexander Ovechkin's post-lockout record of 65 in the2007–08 season.[158] His 153 points were the most for a player since Lemieux in 1996, and the fourth-most for any player in NHL history, behind Gretzky, Lemieux andSteve Yzerman.[159] TheCanadian Broadcasting Corporation dubbed it "the season of the century."[160] He was once again named finalist for both the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award.[161][162] Winning both awards, he finished the season with four individual player trophies.[163] He received 195 of 196 first-place votes for the Hart Trophy, narrowly missing a second unanimous win.[164]The Oilers finished second in the Pacific Division and sixth in the league, qualifying for the2023 playoffs. They drew the Los Angeles Kings in the first round for the second consecutive year, entering as the favourite to advance.[165][166] The Oilers ousted the Kings in six games, with McDavid and Draisaitl again credited as dominant forces in the contest, and moved to face theVegas Golden Knights in the second round.[167] The second round matchup attracted media attention due to the presence of Jack Eichel on the Golden Knights roster, as Eichel had been drafted second overall in the same year as McDavid and was viewed at the time as a potential career rival, though the narrative had largely faded in the following years due to neither party's interest in establishing further tension, Eichel's originalBuffalo Sabres team from 2015 to 2021 not achieving much success, and the Sabres being in a different division and conference than the Oilers.[168][169][170] The Oilers were ultimately defeated by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights in a six-game series, bringing their postseason to an end.[171]
In the summer 2023 off-season, the Oilers hiredJeff Jackson, McDavid's longtime agent, to serve as the CEO of hockey operations.[172] McDavid vowed that it would be "Cup or bust" for the team going into the2023–24 season.[173] The team had a "disastrous" start to the season, winning only two of their first ten games and sitting second-to-last in the NHL. McDavid missed games due to injury in this period, and at the same point was tied for 57th in league scoring.[174] On November 12, the team fired coach Woodcroft and replaced him with Kris Knoblauch, who had previously been McDavid's coach with the Erie Otters. At the time of the coaching change, the Oilers had a 3–9–1 record.[175]The Athletic remarked that the hirings of Jackson and Knoblauch "have put the spotlight squarely on McDavid," given their prior relations to him.[176] The team's fortunes soon revived under Knoblauch, and McDavid saw his scoring surge. On April 15, 2024, McDavid recorded his 100th assist of the 2023–24 season on a goal byZach Hyman in a 9–2 win over the San Jose Sharks to become the first NHL player in over three decades and the fourth player in NHL history (alongside Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux andBobby Orr) to achieve the feat.[177] After ending the season with 32 goals and 100 assists for 132 points in 76 games, McDavid and the Oilers would eliminate the Los Angeles Kings in the first round for the third straight season in five games, the Vancouver Canucks in seven games and the Dallas Stars in six games in thethird round to help clinch the Oilers first appearance in theStanley Cup Final since 2006.[178] After losing the first three games of the series against the Florida Panthers, McDavid led the team on a comeback to avert elimination with a historic scoring surge in the next two games. In game four, he registered his 32nd assist of the playoffs on a goal byDylan Holloway, breaking Wayne Gretzky's record for most assists in one playoff year in an 8–1 victory.[179] Following a dominant performance in which he scored four points during a 5–3 victory in the fifth game, McDavid achieved a historic feat by becoming the first player in NHL history to achieve back-to-back games with four points or more in the Stanley Cup Finals. Additionally, he also holds the record for most points accumulated over two games in the Stanley Cup Finals.[180] The Oilers forced the series to seven games, but were ultimately defeated. McDavid was awarded theConn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the postseason. He was the sixth person from the losing finalist team to receive the award, only the second forward (afterReggie Leach in1976) to do so, and the first person sinceJean-Sébastien Giguère of theMighty Ducks of Anaheim in2003.[181]
On January 20, 2025, McDavid was handed a three-game suspension forcross-checkingConor Garland in a game against the Vancouver Canucks on January 18, 2025.[182] McDavid tied for the lead in points in the2025 playoffs with teammateLeon Draisaitl, with seven goals and 33 points in 21 playoff games, but the Oilers once again lost to theFlorida Panthers in theCup Final, four games to two.
On October 6, 2025, McDavid signed a two-year extension to remain with the Oilers for an average annual value of $12.5 million.[183]
 McDavid with Team Canada in 2016 | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Canada | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
 | 2016 Russia | |
| 4 Nations Face-Off | ||
| Winner | 2025 Canada/United States | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
| 2015 Canada | |
| World U18 Championships | ||
| 2013 Russia | |
McDavid's international ice hockey career began with the2013 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, where he led the sixth-place Team Ontario with nine points in five games, including two goals and an assist in their 7–6 tournament-ending loss to Team Pacific.[184] Despite his team's disappointing performance, McDavid was named to the tournament all-star team.[185] The next year, a 16-year-old McDavid was the youngest player in the2013 IIHF World U18 Championships inSochi. Playing for theCanada men's national under-18 ice hockey team, he skated on a line withSam Reinhart and Sam Bennett, recording two goals and two assists in Canada's 4–1 opening-round win overSlovakia.[186] He led the tournament in scoring with eight goals and 14 assists, including a hat-trick during Canada's 6–0 quarterfinal win over theCzech Republic.[187] Canada defeated theUnited States team 3–2 in the gold medal match, breaking Team USA's four-year championship streak, and McDavid was named both the Best Forward and Tournament MVP after the win.[188]
In 2014, McDavid became the sixth 16-year-old in history to join theCanadian junior team for that year'sWorld Junior Ice Hockey Championship. Although McDavid recorded a goal and three assists in the tournament, he went pointless in the last three games and spent most of the bronze medal match, in which Canada fell 2–1 toRussia, on thebench.[189] He rejoined the team for the2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Canada, serving as an alternate captain and as the only 17-year-old on a team that was otherwise 19 years of age.[190][191] Canada took the gold medal in the tournament, defeating Russia 5–4 in the championship match, and McDavid's 11 points (three goals and eight assists) tied Sam Reinhart andNic Petan for first in the tournament. He was named to the media all-star team at the end of the championships.[192]
McDavid first joined theCanadian senior team for the2016 IIHF World Championship in Russia. Although he had eight assists in the tournament, McDavid did not score a goal until the gold-medal match againstFinland, who the Canadians shut out 2–0 to win the tournament.[193] McDavid's was the only goal of the game until the final second, whenMatt Duchene scored in the opposition'sempty net.[194] That same year, McDavid was named captain ofTeam North America, a team of Canadian and United States players aged 23 or under, at the2016 World Cup of Hockey.[195] Centring a line withAuston Matthews andMark Scheifele,[196] McDavid had three assists in six games during the pre-tournament and round robin stages of the World Cup.[197] Team North America was eliminated after the round-robin portion of the tournament, with Russia winning the tiebreaker.[198]
Two years later, McDavid was named captain of Team Canada at the2018 IIHF World Championship in Denmark,[199] where he recorded five goals and 13 points through the opening rounds of the tournament.[200] With a 4–1 loss to the United States team in the bronze medal game, Canada finished the World Championship without a medal for the first time since 2014.[201] McDavid, who was joined by Oilers teammatesRyan Nugent-Hopkins andDarnell Nurse, finished the tournament third in scoring with five goals and 17 points in 10 games.[202] McDavid intended to play for Canada again at the2019 IIHF World Championship, but suffered a leg injury at the end of the NHL season that kept him from participating.[203]
McDavid was one of the first three players named to theCanadian roster for the2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, joining Sidney Crosby andAlex Pietrangelo.[204] However, in December 2021, the NHL declared that no players would be allowed to participate in the Olympic Games, citing COVID-19 outbreaks throughout the league. McDavid, who had already missed a chance to participate in the2018 Winter Olympics due to financial concerns from the NHL, was upset with the league's decision, saying, "It's always been a dream of mine to play at the Olympics since I was a little kid. So to have that kind of squashed as we were getting close was disappointing."[205]
McDavid was one of the first six players named to Team Canada for the 2025 debut of the4 Nations Face-Off, and was later named alternate captain.[206][207] Recording three goals, including the game- and tournament-winning goal in the final matchup againstTeam USA,[208] and five points in four games, he finished the tournament second in scoring.[209] Team Canada's victory marked McDavid's first international gold medal since 2016, and his first in a senior-level "best on best" tournament. For his performance in the event final, he was named Player of the Game.[210]
Nicknamed "McJesus",[211] McDavid is considered by fellow players, fans, and sportswriters to be one of the best players in the modern era of the NHL, with frequent comparisons to elite offensive players such as Sidney Crosby.[212][213] Responding to a 2017 survey from theAssociated Press, defencemanSeth Jones described McDavid as "what Crosby was when he was 20", while Boston Bruins goaltenderTuukka Rask said that McDavid "just skates and he stick handles and it's something I've never seen before as a goalie".[214] Between 2016 and 2021, McDavid ranked first inTSN Hockey's preseason fan poll of the top 50 players in the NHL.[215] The NHLPA also voted McDavid the best forward in the league in both 2019 and 2020.[216] In 2021, McDavid joined Gretzky as the only players to unanimously win the Hart Memorial Trophy, as voted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.[217]
Through his first five seasons in the NHL, McDavid's 1.34 points per game have been on par with Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin.[218] When asked byESPN in 2016 what made McDavid such a strong player, several, including Auston Matthews,Ryan Getzlaf,Joe Thornton, andBrendan Gallagher, mentioned his speed on the ice. John Tavares praised McDavid's adaptability, while defencemanCam Fowler said, "I don't think there's a specific way to shut him down."[219] In 2021, Gretzky praised McDavid's increased maturity and physicality compared to previous seasons, saying, "His body language is that he doesn't want to lose, and it's infectious through the hockey club."[220] Despite the praise for the offensive aspects of his game, McDavid has received criticism from sports journalists for his defensive elements, particularly his high rate of turning over the puck to his opponents while in the Oilers' defensive zone.[221][222]
McDavid met his wife,interior designer Lauren Kyle, in 2016 after they were set up on a blind date by Kyle's cousin and McDavid's then-teammate,Luke Gazdic.[223] The pair live with their dog, a miniature Bernedoodle named Lenard,[224] and own a house together in Edmonton.[225] After photos of the house were featured inEDify magazine in 2020 and video tour was recorded in 2021 forArchitectural Digest, theminimalist design and the grim view of theEdmonton River Valley outside became anInternet meme.[226][227] McDavid and Kyle became engaged on June 22, 2023,[228] and got married on July 27, 2024, in Muskoka, Ontario. The wedding was featured in Vogue.[229] Edmonton Oilers teammates Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse were two of his groomsmen.
As a sports fan in Ontario, McDavid was a dedicated childhood fan ofMats Sundin and the Toronto Maple Leafs NHL team. He described his childhood bedroom as "pretty embarrassing" for its volume of Maple Leafs memorabilia.[230] In 2023, he stated that he "likes watching players more than teams", and named the Maple Leafs and thePittsburgh Penguins as the two teams he most enjoys watching for that reason.[231] Outside of hockey, he supports theToronto Blue Jays ofMajor League Baseball and threw out theceremonial first pitch at a Blue Jays game in 2016.[232]
On June 21, 2017,Electronic Arts revealed that McDavid would be the cover athlete forNHL 18, their annual installment of theNHL video game series.[233] Additionally, McDavid's unique skating style inspired the Real Player Motion technology used inNHL 19, in which player size and other attributes affect their skating speed and power.[234] In 2022, McDavid was one of several Canadian athletes to appear on boxes ofCheerios cereal as part of their "Be the Cheer" promotion, in which customers could write personalized messages to athletes competing at theOlympic Games.[235] That same year, McDavid became the first active professional athlete to serve as a brand ambassador forsports betting companyBetMGM.[236]
McDavid is involved in charitable efforts with Edmonton's Indigenous community and has raised $85,000 to help Indigenous children play sports.[237] He is also involved in a shuttle program to help sick kids.[238]
Career statistics derived from Elite Prospects.[239]
Bold indicates led league.
Bold italics indicate NHL record.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2011–12 | Toronto Marlboros | GTHL U16 AAA | 88 | 79 | 130 | 209 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Toronto Marlboros | GTHL U16 | 33 | 27 | 50 | 77 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Erie Otters | OHL | 63 | 25 | 41 | 66 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Erie Otters | OHL | 57 | 28 | 71 | 99 | 20 | 14 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 2 | ||
| 2014–15 | Erie Otters | OHL | 47 | 44 | 76 | 120 | 48 | 20 | 21 | 28 | 49 | 12 | ||
| 2015–16 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 45 | 16 | 32 | 48 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 82 | 30 | 70 | 100 | 26 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 82 | 41 | 67 | 108 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 78 | 41 | 75 | 116 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 64 | 34 | 63 | 97 | 28 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 2 | ||
| 2020–21 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 56 | 33 | 72 | 105 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 44 | 79 | 123 | 45 | 16 | 10 | 23 | 33 | 10 | ||
| 2022–23 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 82 | 64 | 89 | 153 | 36 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 76 | 32 | 100 | 132 | 30 | 25 | 8 | 34 | 42 | 10 | ||
| 2024–25 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 67 | 26 | 74 | 100 | 37 | 22 | 7 | 26 | 33 | 4 | ||
| NHL totals | 712 | 361 | 721 | 1,082 | 286 | 96 | 44 | 106 | 150 | 28 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Canada | U18 |  | 7 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Canada | WJC | 4th | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | |
| 2015 | Canada | WJC | | 7 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2016 | Canada | WC | | 10 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 6 | |
| 2016 | North America | WCH | 5th | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | |
| 2018 | Canada | WC | 4th | 10 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 10 | |
| 2025 | Canada | 4NF | | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 21 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 6 | ||||
| Senior totals | 27 | 9 | 25 | 34 | 20 | ||||
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Jack Ferguson Award 2012 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Emms Family Award 2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Art Ross Trophy 2017,2018 2021,2022,2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy 2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Hart Memorial Trophy 2017 2021 2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Ted Lindsay Award 2017,2018 2021 2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Conn Smythe Trophy 2024 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | EA Sports NHL Cover Athlete NHL 18 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | NHL first overall draft pick 2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Edmonton Oilers first round draft pick 2015 | Succeeded by |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by | Edmonton Oilers captain 2016–present | Incumbent |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
