Tag: Connor McDavid

14 athletes with incredible seasons (Connor McDavid!) who egregiously weren’t named unanimous MVP

A list of superstars who dominated but weirdly didn’t get universal MVP praise.

Winning a unanimous MVP in sports is one of those eccentric, niche milestones that seemingly only truly great superstars can achieve. But with these honors usually voted on by media members — who are fans of the sport they cover first — sometimes, perspective can be lost in the shuffle.

Because to be a unanimous MVP means you were the undisputed best player in the world in your respective league or sport. No questions asked. At least, that’s what a clean-sweep vote essentially dictates.

You were a cut above, and everyone else paled compared to your brilliance. (Never mind that all of these votes are inherently subjective.)

Despite a historic 2022-2023 NHL season, Connor McDavid wasn’t a unanimous MVP. It’s mind-boggling as to why. But McDavid certainly isn’t the first major sports star to lose out on this distinction that would probably only bother Hall of Famers. There’s a laundry list of athletes who put on an all-time show for an entire year, only for some people to say their excellence actually wasn’t the best.

Across four of the major American sports leagues — the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL — here’s a look at a few stars who probably should’ve received unanimous MVP honors. Note: This list is not a ranking of egregiousness. It is in chronological order by year from top to bottom.

5 sports documentaries we’d love to see Netflix do after Quarterback

Stars from other sports should get this cool spotlight, too.

With the release of Quarterback (and Captains, Drive to Survive, and Full Swing before it), Netflix has now created four inside-look documentaries at the lives of different professional athletes.

The point of these kinds of productions isn’t necessarily to feature the biggest names, per se. It’s to tell an interesting story, regardless of that individual’s quality. Because, in the end, we want to learn something new about someone who carries intrigue and maybe a slight air of mystery about them.

That got me thinking. Now that the NFL, Men’s soccer, F1, and golf have all been covered by the relentless streaming-service machine, what other significant sports trios should get this up-close-and-personal treatment? There’s so much room for flexibility and creativity that I almost think it’d be a mistake for Netflix not to branch out elsewhere. Honestly, I’d probably gobble up anything that lets me see the day-to-day life of a sports star.

But maybe that’s just me. (I don’t think it is.)

From a few baseball stars and WNBA dynamos to the next Big Things in the NFL at the college level, here are a few ideas for Netflix to tackle next in the first-person sports documentary world.

My parameters for my selections are simple:

  • An athlete can be a big name/star in their respective league or sport.
  • An athlete can be merely Very Good as a member of a contending and/or championship team.
  • An athlete can be some kind of rising star or young phenom with a seemingly impossible amount of hype behind their professional prospects.
  • Athletes in one league or sport are grouped together as a trio to offer three contrasting kinds of day-to-day perspectives.
  • Above all, I suspect that the names I picked would simply present the most interesting stories to learn about. That’s why I chose them. Point blank.

Note: This list is in no particular order.

Connor McDavid zinged Paul Bissonnette right after scoring his 60th goal

This was such a savage and unnecessary roast!

Connor McDavid is on top of the world right now.

He’s the favorite for his third career Hart Trophy and has his Edmonton Oilers in a prime position for the upcoming playoffs.

On Wednesday night, McDavid notched 60 goals for the first time in his already illustrious career. He’s the fourth player this century to score at least 60 goals in a season (after Alexander Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, and Auston Matthews) and is the fastest to reach the milestone (just 72 games) in the salary cap era.

After scoring his 60th goal to beat the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 in overtime, McDavid was clearly feeling himself in an NHL on TNT postgame interview. He seemed to (understandably) be over the moon. When analyst Paul Bissonnette — a former NHL player — asked McDavid about whether he could get a special shirt the Oilers star was wearing to spark a comeback, McDavid responded with the most casual zinger:

PHEW. I personally love how McDavid barely cracks a smile while saying Bissonnette is where he should be. That’s what makes the delivery of the joke perfect. Hey, when you’re king of the hockey world, you’re free to say things like this in any tone you want.

Connor McDavid had the most hockey player answer ever about scoring 50 goals

You couldn’t tell if this was Goal 50 or Goal No. 1.

A two-time Hart Trophy winner, you would’ve thought Connor McDavid had done it all in the regular season already. But the best player in the game achieved a notable mark for the first time on Monday night: scoring 50 goals.

Yes, despite all the accolades and prolific scoring from his career to this point, the incredible McDavid had not yet potted 50 goals in a season. And as he steamrolls his way to a third career Hart Trophy, it’s worth noting McDavid did this in 61 games.

Even in a 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins, it’s still something to see the Edmonton Oilers center outdo his own on-ice magic:

McDavid’s first time reaching the half-century mark for goals (along with at least 65 assists) in 61 games is also among the fastest in league history. It puts him in the company of some real legends:

But McDavid is a professional hockey player, and pro hockey players are known for focusing on keeping their noses to the ground whenever they can. So when the Oilers star was asked about what it meant to reach 50 goals, his answer was hilariously on brand:

I think I’ll speak for McDavid on this one: 50 goals is decidedly not just a number. It’s the latest hallowed accomplishment in a young career that is seemingly only growing in scope by the year.

Denver native Mark Hubbard not-so-subtly trolls Canada with Avalanche shirt on PGA Tour

“Tell Canada, I want them to know it was the Avs,” Hubbard, probably.

As they wait for their opponent in the Stanley Cup Final, it’s worth reflecting on the Avalanche’s path to return to the NHL’s biggest stage.

In the first round, they swept the hapless Predators. Nashville never even had a chance. Then, despite a little more fight from their opponent, Colorado dispatched the rival Blues in six games without breaking much of a sweat. Maybe next year, Jordan Binnington!

Finally and most notably, they steamrolled Canada’s last chance at a Cup in 2022 by sweeping Connor McDavid and the Oilers. That makes it 29 years since any of the NHL’s Canadian teams last hoisted the Cup. Can you imagine a country loving a sport so much and never winning its top prize? Tough scene.

During the RBC Canadian Open on Thursday, Denver native/PGA Tour golfer Mark Hubbard made sure to remind the hometown fans of that fact in the funniest way:

Look at that confident strut after making his putt. That’s a man who knows he’s making himself a public sports enemy and is absolutely reveling in it. Sorry, Canada. Maybe, finally, next year will be the year.

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Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl deserved better in the Stanley Cup Playoffs

The NHL playoffs are cruel, and Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl know it only too well.

As it turns out, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl can’t do it all.

The Edmonton Oilers season ended Monday night in the Western Conference Final after being unceremoniously swept out of the playoffs by the Colorado Avalanche. Artturi Lehkonen had the game-winner for the Avalanche in the 6-5 overtime loss, sending the Oilers home packing after a frustrating and unsatisfying end to their season.

There’s probably no one more disheartened at how Edmonton’s season ended than the team’s two star players, McDavid and Draisaitl. After all, the pair led the playoff field in points by a wide margin, with McDavid posting 10 goals and 33 points and Draisaitl right behind with seven goals and 32 points.

The next highest point total from a player in the playoffs? Mika Zibanejad of the New York Rangers with 24.

It’s been 32 years since the Oilers hoisted the Stanley Cup, with this trip to the Western Conference Final the first for McDavid and Draisaitl in their tenure with the team. Given how good Edmonton was for a majority of the season, there’s room for optimism with this team for the future. The Oilers finally seem to have gotten a talented supporting core around their two stars with Evander Kane and Zach Hyman, something Edmonton can build upon in the seasons to come.

And yet, McDavid and Draisaitl deserved better than what they got in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

After yet another season of both McDavid and Draisaitl cresting over 100 points, the pair were the most electric players in this postseason. The Oilers were never out of it when McDavid and Draisaitl were on the ice and it showed. The two combined for just five total games out of 16 played in these playoffs where neither were able to notch a point, with the Oilers going 0-5 in those games.

Not only that, Draisaitl was clearly battling a leg injury for a good portion of these playoffs and yet still managed to put up four huge assists in the deciding Game 4 against the Avalanche.

It’s just a shame the rest of the Oilers weren’t able to rise to even a fraction of McDavid and Draisaitl’s level in the Western Conference Final. A lot of the focus will be on goaltender Mike Smith, who collapsed in key points during this series and gave up some truly awful goals this postseason. The 40-year-old goaltender had some standout moments in the playoffs, but it’s well past time for the Oilers to move on.

The problem? Smith is signed for another season in Edmonton at $2.2 million. It’s a tradable contract for sure, but it’s one that’s indicative of the process that’s still holding this team back from truly being great.

In the Oilers postgame press conference Monday night following their playoff exit, McDavid discussed the process Edmonton has gone through in recent years, which landed them in their first conference final since 2006.

“It feels like it’s steps right?” McDavid said, via NHL.com. “Every team kind of goes through it. They become a playoff team and then they get there most years and then they go on a little bit of a run and they learn that lesson and then it becomes their time to win.

“You look at a Colorado team that’s been in that situation many, many times, and obviously they’re knocking on the door right now. It’s a step in the right direction, but that’s all it is.”

That’s all it is, but it could have been so much more.

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The Drake curse might be back after he posted about Connor McDavid before Oilers collapse

Oh no.

Uh, I thought the Drake Curse was over after the Toronto Raptors won a title?

Turns out, maybe not.

The Edmonton Oilers were up 4-2 on Monday night during Game 4 of the Western Conference Final. Connor McDavid was in the midst of pulling off his usual magic, with a goal and two assists on the night and a chance to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche.

What does Drake have to do with this? He posted a photo on Instagram Stories … and then the Oilers collapsed.

Drake Curse, still a thing apparently. Let’s break it all down:

Connor McDavid’s ridiculous goal at the end of the Oilers’ Game 7 win had NHL fans in awe

What. A. Goal.

Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs last night with a 2-0 Game 7 win over the Los Angeles Kings at home.

McDavid, who led the league with 123 points (44 goals, 79 assists), assisted on the first goal of the game and then sealed things late in the third period with a ridiculous goal that showed why he’s the best player in the entire league.

The 25-year-old center simply refused to quit on this play and put his team and his city on his back and lifted them into the next round with a goal that will live forever on his highlight reel.

Check this out:

Unbelievable.

NHL fans loved it.

Oilers goalie Mike Smith made an incredible pass to Connor McDavid to set up OT winner

What a pass from… Mike Smith???

You don’t often see goaltenders making passes like the one Mike Smith made.

On Tuesday, the Edmonton Oilers were deadlocked with the San Jose Sharks 1-1 in overtime after the away team engineered a third period comeback. Coming off a rush, the Sharks were looking to put things away early with a shot from Brent Burns, but Smith gloved the shot with ease.

Normally, in that situation, goaltenders would either freeze the puck or play it to a corner. Instead, Smith took a few strides out of his net and… made a breakout pass in stride to Connor McDavid streaking down the far boards.

And, of course, McDavid buried the shot on the breakaway, giving the Oilers the incredible 2-1 overtime victory off Smith’s stunning assist.

What an awesome moment! I also love how McDavid points down to Smith in his celebration before the pair hug to cap off the victory. Talk about a creative play to get McDavid the puck on a breakaway for the overtime win.

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Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl snaps back at reporter as tensions boil over in Edmonton

Leon Draisaitl is not happy!!!

To say things are going poorly for the Edmonton Oilers right now would be an understatement.

Since sitting atop the Pacific Division on December 1 with a 16-5-0 record, the Oilers have lost 12 of its last 14 games — including six straight defeats — and have plummeted out of playoff contention entirely. A big reason why is due to the Oilers’ goaltending duo of Mikko Koskinen and Stuart Skinner playing disastrously this year, with save percentages of .900 and .907 respectively.

However, around Edmonton, a lot of the blame has fallen at the feet of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, two players who have each put up over 50 points this year and are doing everything in their power to drag the Oilers into the playoffs. On Tuesday, frustration boiled over during a press conference with Draisaitl, as the 26-year-old had a very tense interaction with reporter Jim Matheson after a question.

The original question Matheson asks — what the Oilers need to be better at — is a legitimate one, but things spiral once the reporter asks Draisaitl why he is “so pissy” at him.

Here’s the exchange between the two in full:

Matheson: What do you think is the number one reason for the losses now? Is there one thing in your own mind where you say ‘we’ve got to get better at that?’

Draisaitl: We have to get better at everything.

Matheson: Would you like to expand on that?

Draisaitl: Nope. You can do that. You know everything.

Matheson: Why are you so pissy, Leon? Why are you so pissy?

Draisaitl: I’m not, I’m just answering.

Matheson: Yeah you are, whenever I ask you a question.

Draisaitl: I gave you an answer.

Matheson: Not a very good one.

Hilariously, Matheson asks another question after that tense back-and-forth, but Draisaitl clearly is exasperated and his answer is curt at best before the press conference ends.

To me, this is a clear example of playing stupid games and winning stupid prizes. Of course being combative with the person you’re interviewing is going to lead to getting an acrimonious response in turn. Not only that, it’s tense all around in Edmonton with the way the team has been spiraling, so it’s no surprise frustrations are coming to a head here.

Honestly, Edmonton media should be pivoting their hard-hitting questions to general manager Ken Holland, who put the Oilers in this mess with his inability to craft a team around McDavid and Draisaitl, instead of the two players trying harder than most to will this team into playoff contention.

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