Oilers' Connor McDavid reacts to viral clip from Amazon documentary series

EDMONTON – When Connor McDavid speaks, the hockey world listens. When he yells at his teammates – even in his team's locker room with the Stanley Cup on the line – people play the clip on repeat.

“It was never my plan to be the star of the show,” the Edmonton Oilers captain joked after a 6-3 loss to Calgary in the preseason. “I think we were just trying things out, but now we've jumped headfirst off the diving board.”

A teaser for the upcoming free-to-view Amazon Prime documentary series “Faceoff: Inside the NHL” was released on Monday, and the clip that caught everyone’s attention was McDavid’s outburst after the Oilers lost Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final to Florida.

Connor McDavid had a FIRED UP moment in the new trailer for the BTS Amazon Prime series “FACEOFF: Inside the NHL” 😳

(above @NHL) pic.twitter.com/QpROUvajfI

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) 23 September 2024

“That's not good enough,” he shouted in the visitors' room. “It's the final. Get going. Now!”

For his linemate Zach Hyman, McDavid’s outburst was perfect.

“That was the feeling everyone had,” Hyman said. “It was great that he said that at the time.”

“The closer you get, the more attainable it is. We're in the Stanley Cup Final. We had a pretty good first game; we lost. Our second game wasn't as good. It's just frustrating.”

“Connor is the most ambitious guy you'll ever meet. He's a little window into what's going on. He speaks like that, with emotion, at the right moment.”

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch has seen McDavid through two phases of his life – as a junior with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League and now in Edmonton after he was hired last November. Leadership has always been one of McDavid's best qualities.

“One of the reasons why Connor is so good is because he is ambitious and passionate,” Knoblauch said. “Yes, he has talent, but he has managed to use that talent and improve every day.”

“Of course, he should be given most of the credit for his good play, but he is also an excellent leader. I have known him since he was 15 years old and his teammates have a lot of respect for him – and they should.”

The five-second stare seemed like an atypical moment for someone who is perceived as stoic or teased as a hockey robot. That wasn't the case, Hyman said.

“For us, that's normal,” he said. “He's a phenomenal leader who wears his heart on his sleeve. To you, he may be quieter, more reserved. To us, he's Connor. He is who he is.”

“He's obviously a great player – the best in the world – and a phenomenal leader who takes on a lot of the team load. When we're playing poorly, he takes on a lot of that and tries to elevate everyone's play. You'll probably see more of that clip on the broadcast.”

Maybe. However, McDavid warned that some things in the show should be taken with a grain of salt.

“You have to understand that they can partially contextualize the show however they want,” he said. “It's interesting how they break it down. They obviously have to make a story out of it.”

“The boys are playing for their dream. You can see it. You can feel it on both sides.”

Aside from the additional unwanted attention he'll receive, McDavid hopes the effort will be worth it for the documentary, which will be released on October 4.

“Ultimately, everyone wants to develop the game,” he said. “It's worked for other sports. Hopefully it will do something for our sport too. That's all we can really ask for.”

Required reading

• Mark Messier joins Amazon Prime's Monday Night Hockey broadcast team alongside Adnan Virk and Andi Petrillo
• NHL puts its stars at the center of an Amazon documentary series to be released in October

(Photo: Perry Nelson / Imagn Images)