NHL legend Wayne Gretzky acknowledges another great Oiler!
Arguably the greatest player of all time to have played the game of ice hockey, Wayne Gretzky was recently on the Pat McAfee show, after game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers.
The two teams are currently locked in battle in a rematch of last year’s final, with the Oilers taking a 1-0 lead in the series courtesy of Leon Draisaitl’s overtime goal that came off a Connor McDavid pass. Ahead of game 2, in Edmonton once again, the great Wayne Gretzky was nothing but praise for McDavid, whom he believes is the best player in the game currently.
The Pat McAfee show host, Pat McAfee, welcomed Gretzky on his show and started off the discussion, talking about the Oilers’ captain and center, Connor McDavid. McAfee jumped right into the question at hand as he asked for Gretzky’s thoughts on McDavid being talked about as the potential next ‘Great One’, and if he saw a little bit of himself in the way McDavid plays his game.
“Yeah, I think we’re past could be. There’s no question he’s the best player in hockey, he’s an unselfish young man, he loves playing in Edmonton, he loves being the captain of the Oilers, he wants desperately to win a Stanley Cup. That’s all he wants, that’s what he cares about the most right now, and good on him.”
Gretzky went on to commend the Ontario native by further stating that McDavid has been a really good ambassador of the game and for Edmonton as well, while also alluding to his great year so far.
“He’s just been great for our game, he’s been great for the city of Edmonton, and you know, what a year, he scored the winning goal at the Four Nations Cup in overtime, he set up the goal last night by Draisaitl.”
Also Read: Stanley Cup Winners Over the Years – List of the Teams Who Have Won the Stanley Cup!
28-year-old Connor McDavid began his professional hockey career in 2015 when the Edmonton Oilers drafted him with the number one overall pick. Since then, he has scored over 350 regular-season goals and has over 700 assists for a combined total of 1,082 points.
In doing so, McDavid became the 4th youngest and the 4th fastest player to reach the 1,000 point milestone in the NHL. This places him in rarified air along with the likes of Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Mike Bossy, and Peter Stastny as the only five players to have crossed the 1,000 mark before playing their first 715 games.
Further improving his solid resume are the numerous awards and honors he has garnered. While he still waits for his first Stanley Cup, McDavid is already a 7-time All-Star, and has 5 Art Ross Trophies, 3 Hart Memorial Trophies, 4 Ted Lindsay Awards, 1 Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, and the 2024 Conn Smythe Trophy, along with a list of other notable recognitions.
Read More: Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup Wins – History of Edmonton Oilers’ Stanley Cup Wins Over the Years
There is little doubt as to why a player of such caliber is considered by many as one of the greats of the game, and who experts believe can truly join the greatest of all time discussion one day.
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