Connor McDavid has had a very busy day.
First, he officially signed his first NHL contract, a three-year maximum entry-level deal.
Then, he laced up his skates for his first public on-ice appearance at the Oilers’ orientation camp that was open to the public.
The 2015 first-overall draft pick didn’t stop there. He also made an appearance on Sportsnet’s Tim & Sid to talk about what has been a whirlwind few days weeks months.
“I couldn’t be happier to be part of the Oilers family, and to make it official today was pretty special,” McDavid told Tim & Sid from the stands at Rexall Place, noting that he’s been in awe of the facility and its history since first taking to the ice on July 1. “It’s almost surreal.”
The feeling is mutual — thousands of fans packed the stands to see the 18-year-old’s skating prowess and hockey skills first-hand.
(It’s safe to say McDavid fever has gripped all of Edmonton, sparking talk of the Glory Days 2.0.)
“It was awesome to see the support,” McDavid said, displaying his signature humility by adding that he didn’t think the fans were just there to see him. “It’s very special for them to come out and watch practice and support us like that.”
While the newest member of the Oilers is no doubt getting accustomed to his not-so-new fame, he admits it’s been helpful to have a familiar face in teammate Darnell Nurse. The two won gold at the 2015 World Junior Championships, and were pitted against each other late in the OHL playoffs.
“He’s been great,” said McDavid. “He’s someone that I’ve been talking to for a little bit before this all happened. He’s been there for me, and I can’t say enough good stuff about him. He’s such a great guy and I’m very lucky to have him here in Edmonton.
“It’s a good group of guys and we’ve been having a lot of fun this week.”
The young hockey phenom has also been taking in plenty of advice from alumni — “I just met Mr. Gretzky and talked to Mr. Messier in Chicago” — but even the Next Great One isn’t immune to what he calls the odd “fan boy” moment when meeting hockey greats.
He recalls the moment he first met Bobby Orr (now his agent) at age 12: “It was hard for me to even put together a word.”
“Of course I’m a hockey player, but I’m a hockey fan,” said McDavid, who says he feels lucky to be on the receiving end of so much advice from hockey greats past and present.
“Hockey’s great that way,” he said. “Alumni always try to give back, and even the current players are always trying to share what they know onto the younger guys.
“That’s the beauty of hockey.”