The Edmonton Oilers announced Connor McDavid will lead the team into their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearance when the series begins Wednesday at 8 p.m. against the Florida Panthers.
McDavid’s path mirrors hockey legends Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby. Both lost their first championship opportunity only to defeat the same opponent the following season.
Gretzky beat the New York Islanders in 1984 after losing to them previously. Crosby flipped the script against the Detroit Red Wings in 2009 to earn his first of three Stanley Cups.
McDavid could join that exclusive group if the Oilers defeat Florida this year.
“I see, obviously, the parallels that everyone wants to write about,” McDavid said at media day Tuesday. “At the end of the day, this is a different story. Different teams, different group. Just excited to have another kick at the can here. That’s all.”
The Oilers lost to Florida in Game 7 last season. Edmonton nearly erased a 3-0 series deficit before falling short.
McDavid won the Conn Smythe Trophy despite the losing effort. The 28-year-old center set a playoff record with 34 assists and finished with 42 points.
That point total ranks fourth-highest in a single playoff in NHL history.
The Panthers are making their third straight finals appearance. Florida is looking to become the ninth franchise to win back-to-back Stanley Cups.
Only the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning have accomplished that feat in the salary cap era.
“They have our complete focus,” McDavid said. “All our energy is going into beating the Florida Panthers. There should be nothing else on anyone’s mind.”
The series opens Wednesday night in Edmonton.
