Connor McDavid is a Canadian centre who plays ice hockey for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL) and is also the team captain. He is often likened to Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Sidney Crosby, earning him the nickname “The Next One.” Thanks to his parents’ unwavering support, he has been playing hockey since he was a youngster, frequently alongside children considerably older than himself. He was the third player, following John Tavares and Aaron Ekblad, to be permitted to join the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) one year earlier than the permitted age. The Edmonton Oilers selected him with the first overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft after he had achieved various honours and accomplishments for the Erie Otters. Despite recurrent injuries that kept him out of the game for the majority of his early professional career, he maintained a consistent performance and led his team to the playoffs in the previous season. Additionally, he won three gold medals for Canada, his national team.
Youth and Early Life
Connor McDavid was born in Richmond Hill, Ontario on January 13, 1997, to Brian and Kelly McDavid. His father was a minor hockey coach, and his older brother Cameron is a graduate of Ivey Business School.
He began skating at age three and began playing hockey with older youngsters at age four. At the age of six, when the hockey organization in his hometown of Newmarket prohibited him from playing with older children, his parents registered him in a team in nearby Aurora that allowed him to play with 9-year-olds.
Later, his father coached the Aurora, Ontario team York-Simcoe Express, which went on to win four Ontario Minor Hockey Association championships. While attending Boston University, he briefly pondered playing for the Terriers, but ultimately elected to play in the OHL to improve his skills further.
Connor’s Early Profession
Connor McDavid began playing minor hockey with the York-Simcoe Express of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) and later played bantam and minor midget hockey for the Greater Toronto Hockey League’s Toronto Marlboros (GTHL). During the 2011-12 season at the minor midget level, he amassed 209 points in 88 games, including 79 goals and 130 assists, and was voted the GTHL’s “Player of the Year.”
Hockey Canada, the governing organization of amateur hockey in Canada, recognized him as an “Exceptional Player” due to his performance. This permitted him to play in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) despite being a one-year junior, becoming the third player after John Tavares and Aaron Ekblad to earn this classification.
At age 15 when he entered the 2012 OHL Priority Selection, the Erie Otters selected him first overall and awarded him the Jack Ferguson Award. During his first year, he scored in 15 consecutive games, excluding his debut, which helped him receive the OHL Rookie of the Month award twice.
He got the “Emms Family Award” for having the most assists among OHL rookies, 41, and was the second-leading scorer among rookies, with 66 points. In addition, his outstanding performance earned him a spot on the “OHL First All-Rookie Team” and a nomination for “CHL Rookie of the Year.”
The 2013–14 season was no less thrilling for him, as he received the William Hanley Trophy as the OHL’s most sportsmanlike player and the Bobby Smith Trophy as the OHL’s top collegiate player. In the same year, he was also named to the “OHL Second All-Star Team.”
In the next season, he was elected captain of the Erie Otters and led the team in points until a six-week injury sidelined him. He finished third in scoring with 44 goals and 76 assists, and was awarded the ‘Red Tilson Trophy as the ‘OHL Player of the Year and the ‘CHL Player of the Year’.
Connor’s Professional Profession
The Edmonton Oilers chose Connor McDavid first overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, and he signed a three-year entry-level contract with the organization on July 3rd. His professional career got off to a shaky start, with losses in his first two games against the St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars, followed by a collarbone fracture that held him out of 37 games.
On February 2, 2016, he made a remarkable return to the ice with a goal and two assists against the Columbus Blue Jackets and achieved his first five-point night against his hometown team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Even though he only played 45 games that season, he was voted third for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s “Rookie of the Year.”
On October 5, 2016, he was appointed captain of the Oilers, making him the youngest captain in NHL history at 19 years and 266 days old. On November 19, 2016, after 10 games without a goal, he recorded his first hat trick in a 5-2 victory over the Dallas Stars.
In 2016-2017, he contributed to his team’s advancement to the playoffs, became the fourth-fastest active player to achieve 100 points after scoring in his 92nd game, and concluded the season as the league’s leading scorer. On July 5, 2017, he signed a $100 million, eight-year contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers, making him the highest-paid player in NHL history.
Connor’s International Profession
Connor McDavid was the youngest member of Canada’s under-18 team at the 2013 IIHF World U18 Championships in Sochi, Russia, and made his international debut on April 18 against Slovakia. He scored three goals against Sweden and led his squad to a gold medal victory against the four-time defending champion the United States.
While Canada finished fourth at the 2014 World Junior Championship, he led his team to victory as an alternate captain at the 2015 World Junior Championship in Toronto and Montreal. He was named captain of Team North America, representing Canada and the United States at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He also won gold for Canada at the 2016 World Hockey Championships.
Awards & Achievements
At the 2013 IIHF World U18 Championship, the 2015 World U20 Championship, and the 2016 World Hockey Championship, Connor McDavid led the Canadian team to capture three gold medals. During the 2016-17 season, he helped his club team Edmonton Oilers reach the playoffs and finish second.
He was the leading scorer during the 2013–17 season and was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the ‘Most Valuable Player. He became the fourth fastest active player to reach 100 points in 92 games.
Personal History and Legacy
Connor McDavid is seeing a Canadian woman named Lauren Kyle who is currently pursuing a business degree. Apparently, they met by happenstance after attending the wrong birthday celebration.
Estimated Net Worth
Canadian professional hockey player Connor McDavid has a net worth of $30 million. In January 1997, Connor McDavid was born in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. He is a left-handed shooting center. McDavid was a member of the Greater Toronto Hockey League’s Toronto Marlboros.
Trivia
Connor McDavid’s decision to leave the York Simcoe Express in 2011 to join the Toronto Marlboros hurt him personally throughout his early years. He and his parents lost friends as a result of this choice.