Oilers' McDavid Opens Up In Players' Tribune Story: 'I've Wanted To Win My Whole Life. It's Who I Am.'

Connor McDavid wants to win.

Like, a lot.

It's all he thinks about. It's what drives him to be better every day. It's been his primary focus since he was a kid shooting pucks at his parents' garage while growing up in Newmarket, Ont.

That comes as good news to Canadian hockey fans who are hoping McDavid will bring back a gold medal when he heads to Milan next week for the Olympics. But it's even better news for Edmonton hockey fans, who, after watching the Oilers lose in the Stanley Cup final in back-to-back years, might have been wondering if McDavid's time in the city is coming to an end when he becomes a UFA in 2027.

The short answer, according to a first-person story called "Dear Canada" that McDavid wrote for The Players' Tribune on Monday, is that the Oilers captain is not going anywhere — not until he wins, of course.

"I want to be remembered as a winner. But not just anywhere. Here," McDavid wrote. "To be in this city during a Cup run, to feel that buzz… it just wouldn't be the same somewhere else."

That sound you heard was all of Edmonton uttering a huge, collective sigh.

From cutting his bachelor party short to addressing criticisms that he has the bubbly personality of a robot, here are some highlights from "Dear Canada":

McDavid, who has won five scoring titles, is leading the Art Ross Trophy race with 95 points in 56 games. But at this stage in his career, the three-time Hart Trophy winner said there is one trophy that he has his eyes on — and it's not an individual award.

"It's not enough to put up points or represent the community well. All I want to do is win. It's all we think about in our room. It’s all we talk about in the off-season. It's why I get up every morning. It's why I've stayed in Edmonton for more than a decade."

The greatest players find ways to win championships. It's as simple as that. Wayne Gretzky won the Stanley Cup four times. Sidney Crosby won three times. Alex Ovechkin has won once. So the fact that McDavid has yet to win a Cup means that there is a blank spot in his resume that he desperately wants to fill. And he wants to do it in Edmonton, following in Gretzky's footsteps.

"I'm 11 years into my career. Of course I think about my legacy… I think there's this narrative that we're this unlucky, troubled team. The end result hasn't been there, but it's not easy getting to two straight Cup finals. We really pride ourselves on being good playoff performers, and our room knows what we're capable of. I believe in this group. If I didn't, I wouldn't have signed my extension."

Winning at the 4 Nations Face-Off, where McDavid scored the overtime-winner against the U.S., provided McDavid with a taste of what is to come next week in Milan. But as big a moment as the 4 Nations Face-Off was, it will likely pale in comparison to what the Olympics can offer. The Olympics are the biggest stage in the world. And McDavid, who was unable to represent Canada in 2018 and 2022, is looking to make his mark.

"If I can be real here for a second, I just want to win something again… That's what was so incredible about the 4 Nations last year. When I pulled on my jersey for the final against the U.S., I remembered that it had been eight years since that World Championship gold medal in Moscow. That was the last time I celebrated winning something. Eight years. And so that game against the U.S. in Boston last year… it meant so many different things to me. Representing Canada means everything to me. With not being able to play at the Olympics until this season, it's been this part of me that's been missing. Some of my favorite hockey memories ever are with a Canada jersey on. Or even just watching as a fan."

McDavid has twice lost in the Stanley Cup final. But of those two, the 2024 loss hit the hardest. For one, it was McDavid's first time in the final. But the bigger reason was how close the Oilers came to winning. Down 3-0 in the best-of-seven series, Edmonton won three in a row to force a Game 7, before losing 2-1 in heartbreaking fashion.

"I remember after Game 7 in ’24, I had my wedding coming up. My buddies had planned my bachelor party a few days after the last possible game of the season. We happened to be in it. And we happened to lose it. So a few days after the game me and my buddies were on a plane to the Bahamas. I was not fun to be around. Looking back, I almost have to laugh now. Because, man, it was just a weird trip. We tried to play golf and it rained. So we sat around having a few beers at the clubhouse, and just talking about how sad we were about the series. We left after two nights.

"I remember sitting there, holding a beer and kind of staring into the distance like in the movies, just thinking back on the last few months like, This isn't how it was supposed to go."

"You know, I think people have this idea that I was this hockey robot. And, yes, I loved hockey. I loved playing. But I was also just… a normal kid. I played lacrosse. I watched football on Sundays. I ran around the park with my friends and had fun at school and I was just me. And hockey for me was just an extension of all that, if that makes sense. It was just a thing that I loved and that was a part of me."

"I don't want to play golf. I don't want to sit by the pool. I don't want to be in the Bahamas. I don’t need a break, or a fresh start. I just want to be in Edmonton, playing hockey. I want to get back there again, whatever it takes. If that sounds like a robot, then I guess I'm a robot. But I see it differently. It doesn't feel like work to me. It's just the game that I love. Ever since I was a little kid, it's been the same feeling… It's like every time you step onto a fresh sheet of ice, even if it’s at 5 o'clock in the morning, you're just so excited for that Zamboni to come off and for that barn door to swing open so you can hop out onto the ice."

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