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McDavid reflects on upcoming Olympics, goal of winning Stanley Cup with Oilers: ‘It just wouldn’t be the same somewhere else’
Jan 24, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period against the Washington Capitals at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Michael Menzies
Feb 2, 2026, 21:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 2, 2026, 21:07 EST
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If there was any doubt about whether Connor McDavid loves the city of Edmonton and wants to win a Stanley Cup with the Oilers, then read the man’s words for yourself. 
Connor McDavid penned a Player’s Tribune article published on Monday titled ‘Dear Canada’ that talks about his tenure in Edmonton, the upcoming Olympics, and his deep love of the game. 
The piece sees McDavid reflect on his passion in a way that’s been rare in his career, revealing a side of himself fans don’t often get to see in a standard interview. 
He said just days after losing in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2024, at his bachelor party no less, he came to this realization:
“I don’t want to play golf. I don’t want to sit by the pool. I don’t want to be in the Bahamas. I don’t need a break, or a fresh start. I just want to be in Edmonton, playing hockey. I want to get back there again, whatever it takes. If that sounds like a robot, then I guess I’m a robot. But I see it differently,” said McDavid.  
The article continues, addressing the question of whether he thinks about his legacy. 
“I’m 11 years into my career. Of course, I think about my legacy. I want to be remembered as a winner. But not just anywhere. Here. To be in this city during a Cup run, to feel that buzz … it just wouldn’t be the same somewhere else,” said McDavid. 
“I think there’s this narrative that we’re this unlucky, troubled team. The end result hasn’t been there, but it’s not easy getting to two straight Cup Finals. We really pride ourselves on being good playoff performers, and our room knows what we’re capable of. I believe in this group. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have signed my extension.” 

Overcoming scars

While a Stanley Cup is months away, there’s a chance for McDavid to be the centrepiece of a fourth Canadian Olympic gold medal since NHL players have participated in the tournament. 
He got a taste of this swelling national pride again last February at the 4-Nations Face-Off and is burning to, “win something again.” 
“When I pulled on my jersey for the final against the U.S., I remembered that it had been eight years since that World Championship gold medal in Moscow. That was the last time I celebrated winning something. Eight years. And so that game against the U.S. in Boston last year … it meant so many different things to me,” said McDavid, who scored the tournament-winning goal during a spectacular overtime. 
“When you’ve played in a Game 7 of a Cup Final, you know what tension is. I won’t say that our game against the U.S. was quite there, but it was about as intense as I’ve ever seen a locker room. I don’t think people quite understand how much that tournament meant to us, the players.” 
May 29, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly and Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) pose with the trophy after winning the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
McDavid also talks about his childhood, fighting off a perception that he was always this ‘hockey robot.” In fact, he uses the word robot four times. 
But in his words, that perception is part of the reason he wrote the article. 
“There’s a part of me that feels like I shouldn’t relax until we win, or that I shouldn’t write stuff like this until then. But I think it’s important to not be afraid of the scars we have and how close we came. I think it’s important, as a captain, to be a human, and not just a hockey robot,” he said.  
“I wish more than anything those finals went another way. It sucks. There’s no other way to put it. It breaks my heart. But the only option you have is to use it as fuel for the fire, and show up the next day to the rink determined to get better.” 
Oilers fans were anxious before this season began, awaiting news whether McDavid would re-sign in Edmonton, or play through the season without an extension. That was quickly forgotten, as he took significantly less money than he could’ve gotten as a free agent – the same $12.5 million he’s been making for eight years – to help build a Stanley Cup champion.
McDavid wants to win.

‘Such an honor’

With that in mind, these Olympics are an opportunity for McDavid to apply everything he’s learned to represent Canada, to join the ranks of golden greatness that he remembers in 2010 and 2014 (and a bit of 2002). 
The tension with the United States, on and off-the-ice, creates the backdrop for tremendous drama in Milan-Cortina, as Canada unites to reclaim gold. 
“I don’t think it will really hit me until I get over there. I was on the U17s the first time I wore a Canada jersey, and I’ve dreamt of this moment ever since. Pulling on that sweater, being in a room with the different generations of great players — Sid and Nate and Celebrini and all those guys. It’s such an honor, really,” he says. 
“I think best-on-best, country-against-country, that’s where hockey becomes something else. It reminds us of the shovels and the snow, the rollerblades and the roadrash. 
“I can’t wait to get in that room. I can’t wait to play more hockey.”
Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and has been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, he also collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues.
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