Connor McDavid

Connor McDavid (born January 13, 1997, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada) is widely considered one of the greatest ice hockey players of his generation. Known for his exceptional speed, vision, and playmaking abilities, McDavid was a first-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2015 National Hockey League (NHL) draft and became the team’s captain the next year. He has won five scoring titles and the Hart Trophy for most valuable player three times, but he has yet to lead his team to a Stanley Cup victory. McDavid won a silver medal as part of the Canadian national team at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

Early life

McDavid is the younger son of Brian and Kelly (McNamara) McDavid. He has a brother, Cameron, who is four years his senior. The boys started skiing young and soon followed in the footsteps of their dad, who played high-school hockey; Connor McDavid was ice skating by age three.

Kelly McDavid has said that one of her favorite images of Connor is of him at age six, sliding across the ice on his knees with his arms in the air after scoring a goal. It is not hyperbolic to say that he was on his way to becoming a hockey prodigy. His talent was such that he was granted an exception to be allowed to enter the Ontario Hockey League at age 15. He played in that league for two seasons, from 2013 to 2015. He won the William Hanley Trophy for sportsmanship in his first season, the Bobby Smith Trophy for top scholastic player both seasons, and the Player of the Year Award in his second season. As early as 2013, when he was just 16, he was being compared to the legendary Wayne Gretzky. Two years later he was selected as the first player in the NHL draft by the Oilers.

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Achieving NHL greatness

McDavid’s rookie season was cut short by injury when he broke his collarbone in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers. But he was healthy and dominating in the 2016–17 season, when he was named team captain at 19, the youngest to get the honor in NHL history. He went on to lead the league that season with 100 points, winning the Hart Trophy for the NHL’s most valuable player and the Ted Lindsay Award for the players’ choice as the most outstanding player. Along with teammate Leon Draisaitl, McDavid helped the Oilers make it to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in a decade.

After signing an eight-year, $100 million contract extension in 2017, he followed up with his second scoring title. In the COVID-19-shortened 2020–21 season, McDavid became only the second player ever to be selected unanimously by the members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association as the Hart Trophy winner. The only other player to win the award unanimously was Gretzky in 1981–82.

For all McDavid’s accolades and his success in helping his team return to the playoffs, the Oilers’ inability to win the Stanley Cup, despite seven playoff appearances between 2016 and 2025, has been a source of frustration. That was perhaps on its biggest display after the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals. The Oilers lost the first three games of the series to the Florida Panthers and then came back from the nearly insurmountable deficit, winning the next three games to force a decisive game seven. Although the Panthers won the series, McDavid was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for the most valuable player in the series, becoming only the sixth losing-team player to win the coveted award.

2025 season and 2026 Winter Olympics

McDavid’s international profile increased a notch during what served as an exhibition tournament in 2025. In lieu of an All-Star Game, the NHL initiated a 4 Nations Face-Off tournament featuring NHL players representing Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States playing over nine days in February. The tournament took on greater political relevance in the wake of U.S. Pres. Donald Trump’s calls for Canada to become the 51st state. The singing of the teams’ national anthems, a normally benign tradition, took on drama as Canadians booed the “Star-Spangled Banner” before games. The four teams played a round-robin tournament, and the finals featured Canada and the United States. Canada won 3–2 in overtime after McDavid scored the winning goal.

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Earlier in the season, however, McDavid was suspended for three games for a violent cross-check to the head of a Vancouver Canucks player. That didn’t stop the Oilers from making the playoffs yet again. After winning playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Dallas Stars, the Oilers faced their old nemesis and defending Stanley Cup champions, the Panthers. The Oilers fell short again, losing the series 2–4. Despite McDavid’s clearly remarkable career, many have noted what is still missing from his NHL resume: a Stanley Cup.

In 2026 McDavid competed for the Canadian national team at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy. He was named the most valuable player of the men’s ice hockey competition, having amassed a record 13 points (2 goals and 11 assists). But, in an echo of his frustrations in the recent Stanley Cup Finals, McDavid’s individual brilliance was not enough to bring his team to victory. Canada had to settle for a silver medal after losing a hard-fought overtime final game to the United States.