Connor McDavid is ready to enjoy outdoor hockey once again.
“My brother and I would walk after school to the pond close by and shovel it off and play with buddies,” the Edmonton Oilers captain recalled. “Lots of great memories on the outdoor rinks.”
McDavid was at Commonwealth Stadium Wednesday afternoon, with the hype already building for the Heritage Classic to be played there on Oct. 29 between the Oilers and the Calgary Flames.
“Starting tomorrow, one o’clock, the NHL is putting more tickets on sale for this game,” announced Heritage Classic Executive Producer Steve Mayer. “For our fans out there, they can go ticketmaster.ca/heritageclassic.”
“It feels like you’re a kid again, playing outside,” said McDavid. “Playing hockey outdoors is as Canadian as it gets. To do it here in Edmonton against the Flames is even better.”
McDavid and many of his teammates have been skating together at Rogers Place, ramping up for training camp in two weeks.
The Oilers are seen as a Stanley Cup contender, with McDavid and fellow star Leon Draisaitl leading the way. McDavid has three years left on his contract. Draisaitl has two.
“I feel a sense of urgency every single year. It doesn’t matter contracts or anything like that. I feel like our opportunity is here and now with the age of our group and the stages we’ve gone through,” McDavid explained. “I feel like everybody is in their prime.”
This will be the second Heritage Classic for McDavid. He and the Oilers won 3-0 in Winnipeg’s Investor’s Group Field on Oct. 22, 2016.