After adding a best-on-best international title to his ever-expanding trophy case, the Oilers pivot only has one bauble left to chase down. By Doug Ward

Connor McDavid has a way of finding himself in rarefied air.

In Edmonton, where the aura of Wayne Gretzky’s number billowing from the rafters still hangs heavy in the atmosphere, McDavid lives up to lofty expectations.

Across Canada, McDavid has the air of a superhero. In this year’s 4 Nations Face-Off final in Boston, it was McDavid who found the space in overtime, then left a nation walking on air when he found the back of the net to give Team Canada the win.

“I hope we put on a good show,” said McDavid in a post-game interview, “and gained some fans.”

Mission accomplished. But McDavid is far from done.

With that golden goal in Boston, McDavid planted a flag on hockey’s mountaintop. With comparisons to Gretzky already de rigueur, McDavid found himself in an even more rare place in Canadian hockey folklore: alongside Paul Henderson and Sidney Crosby.

At 28, McDavid has already stuffed his trophy cabinet with one Rocket Richard Trophy, three Hart Trophies, four Ted Lindsay Awards and five Art Ross Trophies. Then there’s the Conn Smythe Trophy that McDavid earned when he brought his team back from a 3-0 series deficit in last year’s Stanley Cup final before ultimately falling short in Game 7 in Florida.

The Stanley Cup is pretty much the only bauble in hockey where you won’t find McDavid’s name. Not yet. But not for a lack of trying.

McDavid became just the second skater to win the MVP of the playoffs while playing for the losing team. Philadelphia’s Reggie Leach was the first in 1976.

As McDavid hangs out at hockey’s highest peak, with his name now shorthand for dizzying greatness, there is still that Stanley Cup to claim.

For four years running, McDavid’s Cup quest began with his Oilers bouncing the Los Angeles Kings from the playoffs faster than, well, a Connor McDavid breakaway. The Kings know his skills better than anyone.

“Speed,” said Kings center Phillip Danault of the most clear and present danger that McDavid presents. “He’s electric, and he has quick hands.”

McDavid also possesses something that belongs to him alone.

“He just thinks the game differently,” Danault said.

Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, who has a history of chirping McDavid, went from rival to admirer at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Doughty believes his breakout pass that sprung McDavid for a breathtaking goal in the unforgettable 3-1 round-robin loss to Team USA in Montreal could not have been converted into a breakaway goal by anyone else.

“If I pass that to any player in the league other than Connor McDavid,” Doughty said, “with the possible exception of Nathan MacKinnon, I don’t think anybody else is getting a breakaway.”

It’s doubtful Doughty would have even attempted the pass leading up to the memorable goal had it been intended for anyone else.

“When I saw Connor get the speed through the neutral zone, I knew I was going to pass it to him,” Doughty said. “Not many guys are going to get a breakaway off that. He’s just so fast. It was a good pass by me, but Connor made the play.”

Because McDavid combines space-age speed with classic skills and a unique perspective on hockey, he makes plays that no one else dares attempt, altering the way a game is played. His mere presence on the ice changes everything, everywhere, all at once.

“The way everyone tries to cover him makes the game open up,” Danault said.

Added Kings defender Mikey Anderson: “Connor McDavid is just different. He has a mix of everything. He has a different level of speed. He plays fast, but his hands move just as fast as his feet. He sees an opportunity when other guys don’t, and he is smart about when to turn it on.”

Playing with McDavid for Team Canada, Doughty learned the game’s singular talent is a great teammate.

“We put everything that has happened over the past years aside, and we were teammates,” Doughty said. “He’s a great person. Hung out with him a ton. Talked to him a ton. Really enjoyed being his teammate on and off the ice.”

So, yeah, you could certainly say McDavid knows how to clear the air and gain new fans.

This article appeared in our 2025 Top 100 NHLers issue and was updated for online purposes. This issue focuses on the 100 best players currently in the NHL, with the Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon sitting atop the list. We also include features on Alex Ovechkin finally beating Wayne Gretzky's goal-scoring record, and former CFL running back Andrew Harris' switch to semi-professional hockey. In addition, we provide a PWHL playoff preview as the regular season nears its end.

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