A new Amazon Prime documentary series includes a scene that could change how Oilers fans view their captain.
The NHL released a trailer on Monday teasing the new series, “Faceoff: Inside the NHL,” which is set to release all six episodes worldwide on October 4th. The nearly two-minute trailer includes a snippet of a scene where Connor McDavid did not hold back against his teammates after they lost Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Holy 😳
McDavid was furious here – Woz
🎥: @nhl / @nuggyyybabyyy pic.twitter.com/z9dmAwBe0u
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) September 23, 2024
“That’s not good enough,” he yelled emphatically. “It’s the finals. Dig in. Right now!”
Of course, this may not be the entire speech, so it is possible that McDavid said more in that moment. But just the five seconds on their own is quite captivating because it contrasts what we have seen from the Oilers captain in interviews. There have been times when you can see him get fired up after a big goal, but this fiery rage he used to try and inspire his teammates to bounce back after falling 2-0 in the Final is a different side of McDavid that many in Edmonton will be happy to see.
But to those in the Oilers locker room, this unleashing is common because they recognize how passionate McDavid is about wanting to win. Teammate Zach Hyman can certainly attest to that while adding it was exactly what they needed to hear.
“That’s what everybody was feeling,” he told to reporters Monday night of the viral moment. “That was great that he said it at the time. The closer you get, the more it’s in reach. We’re in the Stanley Cup Final. We had a pretty good first game; we lost. We had a not-so-good second game. It’s just frustration. Connor’s the most competitive guy you’ll meet. It’s a little window into what goes on. He speaks like that, with emotion, at the right times.”
Another person who knows what McDavid is like behind the scenes and the kind of leader he can be is head coach Kris Knoblauch. The two have known each other for the better part of a decade, dating back to their time with the Erie Otters of the OHL where they enjoyed plenty of success and went on deep playoff runs.
Even back when McDavid was a teenager, Knoblauch recognized that the future Oilers captain was destined to be a great leader.
“Part of the reason Connor is as good as he is is he’s competitive and he’s passionate,” he said. “Yes, he has talent, but he’s been able to push that talent and get better every single day.
Obviously, he should get most of the recognition on how well he plays, but he is an outstanding leader. I’ve known him since he was a 15-year-old, and his teammates have had a lot of respect for him — and they should have.”
This small window into what the Oilers locker room is like behind the scenes gives the Edmonton faithful a more accurate depiction of what McDavid can be like. He may seem stoic and robotic in front of reporters, but the passion and fury come out when he is trying to propel his teammates to reach greater heights and that will no doubt make fans love him even more. Not that he needed more supporters to begin with.
As for how the man himself feels about the viral clip, he never intended to be the main focus of this new show but he hopes it will help grow the game in the same way similar shows such as Drive to Survive and Full Swing did.
“It was never my plan to be the star of the show,” McDavid said. “I think we wanted to dip our toe in, but here we are: headfirst off the diving board. Ultimately, everybody wants to grow the game. It’s worked for other sports. Hopefully it does something for our sport as well. That’s all we can really ask for.”