‘On the ice he was everything and more’: Edmonton Oilers already see Connor McDavid as leader
By John Korobanik
The Canadian Press
Posted April 10, 2016 3:17 pm EST
Updated April 11, 2016 8:10 am EST
3 min read
This article is more than 8 years old and some information may not be up to date.
Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid speaks to reporters during the Edmonton Oilers' end-of-the-year press conference in Edmonton, Alta., on Sunday, April 10, 2016.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Codie McLachlan
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.
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“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.”
Watch below: Edmonton Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli thought the team would finish the season with 82 points
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.
“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.”
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.
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“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.”
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.”
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BELOW: Gallery featuring images from Connor McDavid’s first year as an Edmonton Oiler.
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Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid speaks to reporters during the Edmonton Oilers' end-of-the-year press conference in Edmonton, Alta., on Sunday, April 10, 2016.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Codie McLachlan
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Connor McDavid addresses the media Sunday, April 10, 2016 after the Oilers' season came to an end Saturday night in Vancouver.
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Current player Connor McDavid walks out during the Edmonton Oilers farewell ceremony at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alta., on Wednesday April 6, 2016. T
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Current Oilers player Connor McDavid takes in the festivities during the Edmonton Oilers farewell ceremony at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alta., on Wednesday April 6, 2016.
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Colorado Avalanche's Mikhail Grigorenko (25) chases Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) during first period NHL action in Edmonton, Alta., on Sunday March 20, 2016.
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Colorado Avalanche's Jarome Iginla (12) checks Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) during first period NHL action in Edmonton, Alta., on Sunday March 20, 2016.
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) and Jordan Oesterle (82) celebrate a goal with teammates against the Vancouver Canucks during second period NHL action in Edmonton on Friday, March 18, 2016.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid, right, works for the puck against Columbus Blue Jackets' Brandon Dubinsky during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Friday, March 4, 2016.
AP Photo/Paul Vernon
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Edmonton Oilers centre Connor McDavid celebrates his overtime goal against the Buffalo Sabres in an NHL hockey game on March 1, 2016, in Buffalo, N.Y. North American general manager Peter Chiarelli was still gushing Wednesday evening over the first NHL matchup of Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, allured by the prospect of what the two young stars might deliver next fall. McDavid and Eichel headlined the first group of players named to the North American entry at the upcoming World Cup.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Gary Wiepert
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Connor McDavid, foreground, first overall pick; Jack Eichel, center, second overall pick; and Dylan Strome, third overall pick; pose for cameras during the first round of the NHL hockey draft, Friday, June 26, 2015, in Sunrise, Fla. Linked together even before they were selected with the first two picks of the NHL Draft last June, McDavid and Eichel continue to travel a similar path.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Alan Diaz
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Edmonton Oilers defenseman Brandon Davidson, left, celebrates with center Connor McDavid (97) after McDavid scored in overtime of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres, Tuesday, March 1, 2016, in Buffalo, N.Y. Edmonton won 2-1.
(AP Photo/Gary Wiepert)
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Minnesota Wild goalie Darcy Kuemper (35) and Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) look towards the puck during second period NHL action in Edmonton, Alta., on Thursday, February 18, 2016. McDavid was named the NHL's top rookie for the month of February on Tuesday.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets during second period NHL action in Edmonton on February 2, 2016. Connor McDavid didn't miss a beat after missing three months with a broken collarbone, putting up three points in two games for the Edmonton Oilers. But the 19-year-old says it was tough to sit out that long in his first NHL season.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) skates during the warm up before taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets in NHL action in Edmonton, Alta., on Tuesday February 2, 2016.
THE CANADIAN PRESS / Jason Franson
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid takes a break during practice in Edmonton, Alta., on Monday February 1, 2016.
Jason Franson, The Canadian Press
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid high-fives Teddy Purcell (16) during practice in Edmonton, Alta., on Monday February 1, 2016.
Jason Franson, The Canadian Press
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Montreal Canadiens' Alex Galchenyuk (27) checks Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) during first period NHL action in Edmonton, Alta., on Thursday October 29, 2015.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) skates during warm up before playing against the St. Louis Blues in NHL action in Edmonton, Alta., on Thursday October 15, 2015.
Jason Franson, The Canadian Press
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) skates during warm up before playing against the St. Louis Blues in NHL action in Edmonton, Alta., on Thursday October 15, 2015.
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) skates during warm up before playing against the St. Louis Blues in NHL action in Edmonton, Alta., on Thursday October 15, 2015.
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Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates his first career NHL goal against the Dallas Stars in the second period at American Airlines Center on October 13, 2015 in Dallas, Texas.
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Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates his first career NHL goal against the Dallas Stars in the second period at American Airlines Center on October 13, 2015 in Dallas, Texas.
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) celebrates with teammates, left to right, Leon Draisaitl (29), Andrew Ference (21), Taylor Hall (4) and Nikita Nikitin (86) after a goal against the Vancouver Canucks during first period NHL pre-season action in Edmonton, Alta., on Thursday, October 1, 2015.
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid leaves the ice after being name the first star of the game as the Oilers defeated the Minnesota Wild in NHL pre-season hockey game in Saskatoon, Saturday, September 26, 2015. McDavid is already helping the Edmonton Oilers off the ice.Even before the start of the NHL regular season, the addition of the top draft pick has seen Oilers' ticket sales climb 131 per cent compared to last year on the secondary market, according to StubHub.com.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards
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Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers skates with the puck while being pursued by Jordan Martinook #48 of the Arizona Coyotes on September 29, 2015 at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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SpiderMable with Oilers Connor McDavid and Andrew Ference on Monday, Sept. 28.
Emily Mertz, Global News
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid moves the puck against Minnesota Wild's Mike Reilly during the second period of an NHL pre-season hockey game in Saskatoon, Saturday, September 26, 2015.
Liam Richards / The Canadian Press
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Calgary Flames' goalie Mason McDonald, right, looks for the puck as Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid tries to screen during third period NHL pre-season action in Edmonton, Alta., on Monday, September 21, 2015.
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Connor McDavid watches fellow Oilers participate in a drill during the team's training camp, Friday, Sept. 18, 2015.
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Connor McDavid participates in his first day of on ice sessions at Edmonton Oilers training camp, Friday, Sept. 18, 2015.
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) skates in the warm-up before Oilers rookies take on the University of Alberta Golden Bears in exhibition hockey action in Edmonton, Alta., on Wednesday September 16, 2015.
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Fans watch as Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid (97) Anton Slepyshev (42) and Andrej Sekera (2) leave the ice after warm-up before the Oilers rookies play an exhibition game with University of Alberta Golden Bears in Edmonton, Alta., on Wednesday September 16, 2015.
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) is stopped by University of Alberta Golden Bears goalie Luke Siemens (30) during first period exhibition hockey action as the Oilers rookies take on the university team in Edmonton, Alta., on Wednesday September 16, 2015.
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) chases the puck with University of Alberta Golden Bears' Jamie Crooks (10) during first period exhibition hockey action as the Oilers rookies take on the university team in Edmonton, Alta., on Wednesday September 16, 2015.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) jumps the bench for a shift against the University of Alberta Golden Bears during second period exhibition hockey action as the Oilers rookies take on the university team in Edmonton, Alta., on Wednesday September 16, 2015.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) walks onto the ice as a fan reaches for him, while playing against the University of Alberta Golden Bears during third period exhibition hockey action as the Oilers rookies take on the university team in Edmonton, Alta., on Wednesday September 16, 2015.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
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Edmonton Oilers' Darnell Nurse (25), Alexis Loiseau (43) and Connor McDavid (97) celebrate a goal against the University of Alberta Golden Bears during third period exhibition hockey action as the Oilers rookies take on the university team in Edmonton, Alta., on Wednesday September 16, 2015.
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Connor McDavid at the Oilers Rookies game Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015.
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Connor McDavid at the Oilers Rookies game Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015.
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Connor McDavid at the Oilers Rookies game Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015.
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Connor McDavid speaks to media during a scrum at the Edmonton Oilers rookie camp in Edmonton, Alta., on Thursday, September 10, 2015.
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Connor McDavid makes his way to a press conference after fitness testing during the Edmonton Oilers rookie camp in Edmonton, Alta., on Thursday, September 10, 2015.
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Connor McDavid takes a break from fitness testing during the Edmonton Oilers rookie camp in Edmonton, Alta., on Thursday, September 10, 2015.
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid is shown during action at the NHL Young Stars tournament in Penticton, B.C., on Sept. 12, 2015. The NHL has announced a seven-year deal with Adidas to produce its uniforms beginning with the 2017-'18 season.
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Edmonton Oliers' Connor McDavid takes to the ice for the warm-up skate before playing the Vancouver Canucks in NHL rookie action in Penticton, B.C. on Friday September 11, 2015.
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Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid looks on during the NHLPA Rookie Showcase in Toronto on Tuesday, September 1, 2015. As in the NHL draft, Edmonton Oiler rookie McDavid leads all rookies in EA Sports' new "NHL 16" video game.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese
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Connor McDavid, second from right, prepares to put on an Edmonton Oilers sweater after being chosen first overall by the Oilers during the first round of the NHL hockey draft in Sunrise, Fla., on June 26, 2015. Connor McDavid woke up the morning after he was drafted first by the Edmonton Oilers thinking it was all a dream. It's reality, and McDavid is already well into his pro career before stepping onto the ice in an Oilers uniform.
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Connor McDavid poses on stage after being selected first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center on June 26, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
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Connor McDavid poses on stage after being selected first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center on June 26, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. Connor McDavid poses on stage after being selected first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center on June 26, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida.
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