MONTREAL (AP) 鈥� is in his 10th NHL season, has played in more than 750 games, led the league in scoring five times and won the Hart Trophy as MVP three times.
Still, what he is experiencing right now is something brand new to him.
McDavid at the 4 Nations Face-Off is playing for Canada in an international tournament featuring the world's best players, an opportunity that has eluded him along with winning the Stanley Cup. Fresh off carrying the Edmonton Oilers to Game 7 of the final , this tuneup for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics has the chance to be McDavid's latest moment to shine in the sport he has become the face of.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been extremely unfortunate for us as hockey fans and for Connor as a player that this is the first time he鈥檚 getting to play in an international event," Canada coach Jon Cooper said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to say this is Connor鈥檚 coming out party, but it kind of is on the international stage, and hopefully we鈥檙e going to the Olympics in a year and we get to see more and more of him. But it鈥檚 been too bad that we haven鈥檛 been able to see him more often.鈥�
The last time there was a 鈥渂est on best鈥� tournament of this kind, McDavid was on the 23-and-under Team North America, not Canada, at the World Cup of Hockey in 2016. The 4 Nations puts him alongside for the first time in their country's red and white Maple Leaf.
McDavid described his emotions as similar to the eve of the Cup final as far as experiencing something for the first time.
鈥淚鈥檝e waited a long time to play in one of these events, to represent my country, play for Team Canada, but lots of guys are in that boat,鈥� McDavid said. 鈥淓verybody鈥檚 in the same boat here. This is new for 99% of the guys here, and we鈥檙e excited about it.鈥�
The excitement amplifies thinking ahead to Milan, especially given that McDavid 鈥� and others, like countrymen Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, U.S. captain Auston Matthews and Sweden winger William Nylander 鈥� are the victims of circumstance to have been professionals for a while but never got to take part in the Olympics. The NHL skipped in 2018 and pulled out of 2022 at nearly the last minute.
Barring more unforeseen circumstances, it's not difficult to envision McDavid being a big part of Canada trying to win a third consecutive Olympic gold medal with NHL players involved.
鈥淐onnor, you see when you watch him play in the National Hockey League, it鈥檚 just pure excitement what he can do on the ice," Canada general manager Don Sweeney said. 鈥淚 think every guy is excited to see him on this level and this stage and really taking a leadership role with Hockey Canada now and moving forward.鈥�
Sweden's Mattias Ekholm, who plays with McDavid in Edmonton, sees the excitement and passion, whether he's a teammate or an opponent.
鈥淭o me, he鈥檚 just a hockey player through and through,鈥� Ekholm said Thursday. 鈥淗e loves this. You can see the pride, whether he鈥檚 wearing the Edmonton jersey or he鈥檚 wearing the Canada jersey.鈥�
Cooper's first impression of McDavid in a Canada jersey, coaching him for the first time, was left almost breathless by witnessing a different level of greatness from behind the bench.
鈥榊ou鈥檙e watching as fast a hockey (game) with as much pace as you could possibly see ... and he still brought you out of your seat just because of the plays he can make at such a high rate of speed," Cooper said. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 like, 'Well, this is the fastest the league gets 鈥� doesn鈥檛 get faster.' And then he still is just a cut above in that speed department, and to be able to process the game at that high rate of speed, it鈥檚 a unique ability that he has.鈥�
Coaching against McDavid for the first time, Sweden's Sam Hallam began to feel a kinship with his counterparts in North America tasked with trying to slow down the 28-year-old playmaker.
鈥淭here鈥檚 how many teams in the NHL, 32? So, 31 teams, four of the smartest hockey coaches in the world on each team, they all try to stop him,鈥� Hallam said. 鈥淗e still scores 130, 140, 150 points. That鈥檚 who he is. He鈥檚 a remarkable player.鈥�
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AP NHL:
Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
