Remember when our very own, Connor McDavid, was just breaking into the NHL a.k.a his acting career? When he jumped into the spotlight, sponsorships came flying his way from all over the place. This is pretty common for NHL superstars, as the league is trying to build a personality for them and most players are also trying to make a little extra cash on the side.

In my personal opinion, McDavid’s acting skills were much below average when he first began his commercial acting career. Some of the videos were awkward and forced. I mean, it was pretty entertaining to watch our savior on the big screen, but they definitely weren’t at the top of my favourite commercial list.

Recently, CCM just launched another ad with Connor McDavid starring in it and I’ve gotta tell you, I think this is one of Connor’s best. He plays a character that allows his personality to shine through, and it’s clear Connor’s really getting the hang of this acting thing. In light of this new commercial, I thought I would take a look at some of Connor’s best and worst commercial appearances through the years.

I think when McDavid began his CIBC commercial days is when his acting took a turn for the better. Maybe it was the company’s marketing department that created high-quality commercials? Or maybe Connor took some acting classes and really dedicated himself to taking his performances to the next level?

He didn’t have a lot of lines in the first commercial and you know what? That’s ok. The penguin was the star of the show. In the second episode, Connor really got in the spotlight and even cracked a joke about his broken collar bone. CIBC also got Connor’s brother, Cam, to join the commercials so I’m sure that made him feel a little more comfortable.

If you asked any random person, they’d probably tell you that the Rogers commercials where Connor McDavid is first coming to Edmonton in 2015 are the most cringy of commercials that Connor participates in. They are a series of four commercials, showing Messier telling Connor how cool Alberta is and ending with Connor actually arriving in Edmonton and seeing how cool it is. Here are the four videos:

These commercials weren’t really cringy because of McDavid’s acting, but more because of Messier’s role. First and foremost, I enjoy the concept! We were all pumped for Connor to arrive in Edmonton after the draft, so basing a commercial series on McDavid’s journey to Edmonton is pretty cool. However, the way Rogers portrayed the journey made it seem like Messier was being REAL creepy with Connor. It didn’t take long for the commercial to become a meme online, and Twitter had its way with it.

This was a cool commercial cause it not only featured Connor McDavid, but it also had Jonathan Toews and Jose Bautista in it. I enjoyed the mix of sports and comedic theme of the commercial but in my opinion, Connor’s acting skills fall below both Toew’s and Bautista’s. Maybe cause they had him in a mechanic role?

Alright, this might actually be one of my favourites. Not only is this commercial beautifully scripted, but Connor also nails the acting in my opinion. Not only does he play himself, but he also plays a security guard, some sort of analytics nerd, and a Flames fan.

This was the most recent commercial released with Connor McDavid starring in it. It’s easily #1 in my books, but MAYBE #1B behind the NHL 18 video. Connor’s back to wearing wigs and pretending he’s someone else, but he’s also showcasing some piano skills, Zamboni driving skills, and skate sharpening skills. My favourite part was his sarcastic clap at the end.

After doing a bit of research I realized that McDavid has been involved in WAY more commercials than I initially thought, and his sponsorship dollars must be through the roof. Are there any other awesome commercials that I’m missing? Let me know in the comments!