McDavid a one-sport man (it’s not golf)

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The man they call “McJesus” may be able to walk on water, but insists he can’t play golf.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/12/2016 (3234 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The man they call “McJesus” may be able to walk on water, but insists he can’t play golf.

“All the guys make fun of me, saying I’m only a one-sport athlete,” Connor McDavid said with a smile Thursday afternoon. “When it comes to off the ice, I’m not very athletic… I’m not a good golfer at all.”

The 19-year-old Edmonton Oilers star is only in his second season as a professional but may already be the NHL’s best player. McDavid, who entered Thursday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre in sole possession of the NHL’s scoring lead with 31 points in 24 games, is a modest, soft-spoken fellow.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler trails Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid Thursday at the MTS Centre.
PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler trails Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid Thursday at the MTS Centre.

He may not be completely forthcoming about his golf game.

“We’ve talked about our golf games and he’s not a very good golfer, according to him,” said linemate Milan Lucic. “Neither am I… Maybe that’s something we could go head to head on that I could beat him at.”

McDavid’s athleticism on the ice, meanwhile, is almost supernatural.

After fracturing his clavicle during a rookie season in which he missed 37 games, his rise to dominance has been astonishing.

Devastating speed and puck skills combined with the ability to make rapid-fire decisions set him apart from his peers.

“I’ve seen speed, I’ve seen speed and hands, but not often the tool kit that goes with it,” said Oilers head coach Todd McLellan.

“There’s a lot of players that were awfully quick coming up through minor hockey and junior, but they often didn’t see things, they didn’t react at the proper times, they didn’t use their speed effectively (and) hit holes at the right time.

“Connor has all those things.”

Lucic’s hulking presence should be a benefit to McDavid, who is attracting the kind of physical punishment from opponents that stars have come to expect in the past.

“It’s his speed and his ability to make those high-skill plays at that speed,” said Lucic. “That makes him such a special player.

“It’s really funny, you know. You see these defencemen that are such great players and such great skaters that never get beat wide or beat by speed and he’s able to make them look like just another defenceman…

“You do what you can to try to keep up and follow the play. Sometimes, when he doesn’t finish the play off, there’s some loose pucks that you can pounce on.”

The Oilers have improved just as McDavid has grown into his role as captain and the player who drives the offence.

“I definitely feel more comfortable,” McDavid said. “I feel better than I did in my first game, which is pretty normal for a lot of guys. I definitely went through a lot my first year with the injury. I tried to learn as much as I could while not playing.”

The Oilers are also trying to avoid overburdening their best player.

On Thursday, McLellan encouraged McDavid to take a break and skip the morning pre-game skate (he did).

McLellan was asked if his approach to guiding McDavid is similar to the approach of Jets bench boss Paul Maurice, who doesn’t want to overcoach 18-year-old Finnish scoring star Patrik Laine.

“I think there’s a real big debate out there about the impact coaches have,” said McLellan. “Do we overdo it? Do we underdo it? I think you have to understand individuals, what makes them effective.

“I’m assuming in Patrik Laine’s case, the freedom to roam a little bit, the creativity is important in his game, yet there’s others on Mo’s team that he wants very structured in certain spots. So, every player’s a little bit different.

“With Connor, he gets it at both ends. We give him the freedom to create — the artist’s analogy, just let him paint. Some paint freely, some paint by numbers and that’s the difference between players on your team.”

And what about the prodigy’s ceiling — how good can he get?

“It’s up to me, really,” said McDavid. “It’s how hard you work and what you do in your off time and what you put into the game.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @sawa14

History

Updated on Thursday, December 1, 2016 8:10 PM CST: updated

Updated on Thursday, December 1, 2016 9:03 PM CST: new photo

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