EDMONTON — Connor McDavid did more than enough in his abbreviated rookie season to earn the respect of his teammates, who already see him as their present and future leader.
“On the ice he was everything and more,” teammate and fellow former No. 1 draft pick Taylor Hall said. “By the end of the year he was our leader on the ice. With all the expectations on him, the way he conducts himself off the ice and the kind of kid he is, he’s a lot of fun to be around.”
McDavid said he appreciated the praise from his roommate this winter.
“That’s a real honour to hear that and have him say that. He’s someone I look up to and respect so much so to have him say that means a lot to me,” the 19-year-old centre said.
“I’m definitely not the loudest guy in the room but I got more comfortable as the year went on. I’m someone who tries to lead by example on the ice.”
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The No. 1 draft pick did just that in his first season, even though he missed 37 games with a shoulder injury. He finished with 16 goals, 48 points and five game-winning goals. He missed 37 of those games after breaking his clavicle on Nov. 3, an injury he said helped him in his adjustment to the NHL.
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“It was unfortunate it happened in my first year, but I moved on from it.,” he said Sunday as the Oilers cleaned out their lockers after finishing out of the playoffs for a 10th straight season. “It was a good chance to watch the game from a different angle and learn a bit more about the game.”
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What he learned in his NHL season is that the pace of play is so much faster.
“No one makes mistakes and everyone is so much bigger and stronger. And the chances don’t come as often as they do in junior.”
He did, however, use his speed and talent to create enough chances to average more than a point a game on a team that finished with just 31 wins and 70 points.
“It’s a funny game,” said the six-foot-one, 190-pound centre. “Some games you play great and get no points and some you don’t have it and get two or three points. It’s tough to get points, but for whatever reason I felt fairly comfortable right away.”
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What he didn’t feel comfortable with was the losing that has become common-place with the Oilers, who finished 29th in the 30-team league.
“It eats me alive,” he said. “Losing is something that has happened a lot here for a while now.
“I think it just get to a point where you get so sick of losing that you can’t do it any more. I think a lot of guys are at that point and I’m someone who definitely doesn’t handle losing very well so this season has been hard on me.”
BELOW: Gallery featuring images from Connor McDavid’s first year as an Edmonton Oiler.
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