Why There is No Basis For the "McDavid to Toronto" Narrative: He Was a Penguins Fan.

[JA]

Over the past few years, the Toronto media has talked at length about Connor McDavid's fandom of the Toronto Maple Leafs, his hometown team. This, of course, will fuel speculation for years that Connor will eventually return to Toronto to represent his childhood favorite team as a player -- unfair to Edmonton Oilers fans, but an unavoidable reality. What has received far less attention, however, is that Connor was also a Pittsburgh Penguins fan and idolized Sidney Crosby during his youth. Even as an Erie Otter, he visited the CONSOL Energy Center multiple times per year to see the Penguins play live.

This becomes troublesome because the common justification being used in discussions about McDavid joining Toronto is that he has a unique personal attachment to the Leafs. After last season's Stamkos to Toronto fiasco and the similar circumstances in which Connor McDavid's name has been discussed in association with the Leafs, it is necessary to examine this issue. Articles such as these, for example, support the assumptions that are being made about McDavid's future:

http://thehockeywriters.com/toronto-can-put-connor-mcdavid-in-a-leaf-uniform-in-3-years/

Toronto Can Put Connor McDavid in a Leaf Uniform in 3 Years
July 20th, 2015 BY Kenneth Lam

...

http://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/twigs/2016/2/11/10970878/growing-up-connor-mcdavid-had-a-leafs-jersey-with-his-name-on-it

Growing up, Connor McDavid had a Leafs jersey with his name on it
McDavid loved the Maple Leafs before he loved any other team. Hey, there's still time to fix the mess the lottery balls made...
by arii @thirtyfourseven Feb 11, 2016, 4:15p

...

Due to the Toronto media's widespread association of Connor McDavid with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a passionate hometown fan, an assumption has developed that he will one day play for the Leafs. There seems to be an awareness of it even among mainstream hockey personalities. This narrative has been perpetuated very aggressively in the past by those who believe that hometown players such as Steven Stamkos and John Tavares would return to Toronto on the basis of their childhood fandom of their hometown team. The Toronto sports media have been at the forefront of this narrative.

This thread challenges that assumption not on the basis that he is already committed to another team, but on the basis that he is on also record as saying his favourite team was the Pittsburgh Penguins, not the Leafs -- therefore, if ever an assumption were to be made about his preferred free agent destination, it is that the city could just as easily be Pittsburgh as Toronto.

http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/2755915-85/mcdavid-crosby-erie-hockey-game-ohl-otters-age-exceptional-harrington

Crosby sees greatness in 15-year-old McDavid
By Josh Yohe | Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012, 12:01 a.m.

...

Comparing 15-year-olds with icons of Crosby's stature often isn't becoming, but then, it was Crosby who made the comment.

McDavid only sounds his age when speaking of his “hero.”

“I can't believe Sidney Crosby said that about me,” McDavid said. “I mean, that's my childhood hero. I'm a Pens fan because of him. I'm totally speechless. I'm amazed.”

Crosby brings out a clear modesty in McDavid. Although the Erie Otters' center comes across as humble in every conceivable setting, he has known from a young age that his talent is special. Like Crosby, McDavid did interviews while in grade school and has been a quasi-celebrity in Canada for years.

McDavid is only the third player to receive “exceptional status,” allowing him into the OHL at age 15. John Tavares, an eventual first overall pick by the New York Islanders in the 2009, was the first person to receive exceptional status.

“I was 8 when that happened,” McDavid said. “And I said to myself at the time that I wanted to be good enough to get into the OHL early. I always wanted that.”

...

Hockey Canada's 2014 IIHF World Championship biography page for Connor McDavid:

stats.hockeycanada.ca/roster_players/4117524

Connor McDavid

Date of Birth 01/13/1997
Height 6’0”
Weight 182
Hometown Newmarket, Ont.
Shoots L
Current Team Erie (OHL)
Pro Status 2015 Dft/Rep.

Player Profile

HOCKEY CANADA BACKGROUND

Attended Canada’s National Junior Team summer evaluation camp in Brossard, Que. and Lake Placid, N.Y. in August, 2013 … Won a gold medal with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World U18 Championship in Sochi, Russia … Led Canada in scoring at the World U18 Championship and named top forward by the IIHF directorate … Played for Ontario at the 2013 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Victoriaville and Drummondville, Que., finishing sixth, and was named to the tournament all-star team

...

PERSONAL

Son of Brian and Kelly … Has one brother, Cameron … Favourite NHL team growing up: Pittsburgh Penguins … Favourite player: Sidney Crosby

...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrhGNSOHk3w (2:57 of video; visual of memorabilia in his room)

Connor McDavid: "[Sidney Crosby] has been my idol since I was, like, eight."

Outside of the Toronto media, it seems that there are several articles suggesting that he has just as much of an affection for the Pittsburgh Penguins. If anyone has been pushing the McDavid to Toronto narrative, it's the Toronto sports media, and they've been using an argument that just doesn't hold up to scrutiny.

He was identified as a Penguins fan as young as the age of 8, before he ever played for Erie. It doesn't hurt that he later spent three years in the Penguins' backyard. Numerous articles have pointed to him being a Penguins fan specifically because of Sidney Crosby, his role model. Crosby has been in the NHL since Connor was eight years old.

This is all relevant, as it lessens the impact of McDavid's emotional attachment or loyalty to the Leafs as a talking point with regards to the future of his career. It can't be argued that McDavid will sign with the Leafs in the future if the only justification is that he was a Leafs fan. That argument bears no weight, yet it is the argument that many journalists have used to link McDavid with the Leafs. That is the issue I'm digging at here. If that is the link being used, then it is perfectly fair to say that he has an equal attachment to the Penguins.

McDavid was a fan of the Leafs, but he was also a fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins. For over a decade, the Leafs have been a difficult team to cheer for, and for the majority of his life, Connor McDavid watched a very miserable Leafs team. Connor remarks in a well-known Sportsnet article that his father was a Leafs fan, and so he grew up watching the Leafs with his father. Being from Ontario, he was obligated to support the Leafs. Spending time with his father every Saturday night watching hockey was his favorite time.

Connor is a Torontonian, and he is knowledgeable about the Leafs. For some, including the journalists who attempt to uphold this vision of McDavid as a Leaf, though, it means that there is an expectation that he will play for the Leafs at some point. This is what they are trying to push by asking him questions such as "What would it mean to play in Toronto?"

He is a Leafs fan by nature and by obligation, but that is not the only team he is a fan of. Another team has had a special place in his heart since he was eight years old -- that team has had success, and has been led by his idol. From the age of eight onward, Crosby and the Penguins were Connor's team; for nearly as long as long as Connor has been able to form memories, the Leafs have been a disastrous organization.

Whenever the idea of McDavid leaving Edmonton is discussed, the popular notion is that he will become a Toronto Maple Leaf on the basis of his loyalty to the team during his youth, as if the Leafs have a unique relationship with him. This is their only justification. As we have discovered, that specific argument has no merit. You can not refer to his childhood fandom of a team as justification for his eventual signing with that team when he has multiple favorite teams, including one that has experienced far more success and is captained by his idol.

Connor has identified himself as a Penguins fan, even in instances when he could have identified himself as a Leafs fan, such as for Hockey Canada's website. The Toronto sports media can not cite his childhood Leafs fandom in support of the argument that he will play for Toronto. Not only is he loyal to his current organization, but he grew up cheering for another team. The fandom argument holds no weight even at the most basic level.

The Edmonton Oilers are now his first team. If he had to play for another team, however, there would be no way to justify Toronto over any other team in the National Hockey League. Those who make claims that McDavid will return to Toronto have no basis for it. The Toronto sports media have played a major role in developing that narrative -- it is completely ludicrous.

To justify the assumption that McDavid will join the Leafs simply because he was a Leafs fan is absurd. It is a sensationalist narrative that the Toronto sports media must stop perpetuating.

McDavid has been cited in print as early as the age of twelve as being a Penguins fan; he has been a fan of the Penguins as long as he has been a fan of Crosby, which began at the age of eight. The Leafs have no unique advantage as far as the concept of him playing anywhere other than Edmonton is concerned.

High-scoring McDavid easily plays it both ways
Cudmore, John. Era - Banner [Newmarket, Ont] 06 Apr 2009: 1.

Connor McDavid has a way of making his point. Lots of them, in fact. But that doesn't detract from the Newmarket resident's team-first concept. The 12-year-old centreman chalked up a tournament-leading 23 points, including 19 assists, in eight games to help the York Simcoe Express to a gold medal at the week-long Ontario Hockey Federation all-Ontario peewee championships that concluded Saturday in Alliston.

It's one thing to put up the points in regular season play. It's quite another to do so when the opposition is clamping down in defensive mode in a playoff atmosphere. Shrugging off the added attention, McDavid merely adjusted his sights and went about the business of contributing with his playmaking skills, as indicated by the point totals of linemates Sam Bennett (21) and Connor Whiteside (14) in the OHF tournament in which the Express claim a 2-0 victory over the Markham Waxers in the final. Combined with 19 points in five games at the OMHA Tournament of Champions in late March, McDavid recorded 42 points in 13 games when it mattered most.

"We do generate a lot of our offence, but it's still a team effort," said McDavid, whose favourite NHL team is the Pittsburgh Penguins and patterns his play after Penguins star Sidney Crosby. "We got put together as the year went on and had some great chemistry. We're all skill players and just want the puck."

But nothing beats the feeling of emerging as the best team in the province. "Definitely it was our goal this season and really a great way to end a great season," said McDavid, a Grade 6 student at Clearmeadow Public School in Newmarket. Even his coach and father Brian McDavid, marvels at his son's approach to the game.

"We tell the boys they don't present championship trophies to one player, it's the entire team," the elder McDavid said. "He really just loves to play. He'd rather play hockey than do anything and is the hardest working kid at practice.

"He'll do drills in the driveway on his own. He just wants to be a hockey player and does the right things to be where he wants to be. "He has great vision on the ice. Teams keyed on him (last) week, so he put the puck on other guys sticks."

The future certainly appears bright for the youngster, who has three 100-goal seasons under his belt and his goals certainly are clear-cut.

"I want to maybe get an education and go to the NHL and have a great career," he said. Ironically, McDavid turned 12 in January, making him an underaged player in the peewee ranks.

...

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/hockey/minors/2013/02/17/connor-mcdavid-nhl-hockey-ontario-hockey-league/1926709/

Connor McDavid, 'the LeBron James of Hockey,' is next
Jon Saraceno, USA TODAY Sports 10:25 p.m. EST February 18, 2013

...

McDavid wears No. 97 for the Erie Otters — the year he was born. Sound familiar? Crosby wears No. 87 to represent his birth year. His bedroom back home in Newmarket, Ontario, is plastered with Crosby posters. But it is a room the teen rarely has seen since relocating last fall to this blue-collar city where he lives with his billet family near the icy shores of Lake Erie and collects a weekly $50 OHL stipend.

...

https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/hockey-phenom-meets-idol-crosby/c-655079

Hockey Phenom Meets Idol Crosby
by Wes Crosby / Pittsburgh Penguins
February 10th, 2013

A hockey wunderkind who outpaces players at least two years his senior and wears the number of his birth year on the back of his jersey.

Sound familiar?

Meet Connor McDavid, a 16-year-old hockey prodigy who some scouts already project to be the first-overall pick of the 2015 NHL Draft. McDavid was welcomed to CONSOL Energy Center to watch and meet his idol Sidney Crosby and the Penguins take on the New Jersey Devils Sunday night.

McDavid, who was influenced to wear the No. 97 to represent his birth year by Crosby wearing the No. 87, not only watched the game in person, he sat alongside one of the most decorated NHL superstars in league history, Penguins owner Mario Lemieux.

“It’s crazy, we knew there was going to be a little tour involved, but to watch the game with Mario Lemieux is just unbelievable,” McDavid said. “Any time you can just spend with Mario Lemieux is fun, so I’m just trying to take what I can off of him.”

McDavid, who never met Crosby before Sunday, has said that Crosby is his favorite hockey player and is the reason he is a Penguins fan. In October, Crosby said McDavid reminded him of himself at that age, which was high praise coming from the current face of the NHL.

“He’s my idol, so for him to say something like that is a tremendous honor,” McDavid said.

...

And McDavid had a chance to watch his idol and favorite team in their packed arena.

“It’s a completely different story when you come to watch a game,” McDavid said. “You can get a sense of the game when you watch it on TV, but once you’re here you just get the sense of how fast it is and the atmosphere in the building. It’s just incredible.”

http://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/edmonton-oilers/pittsburgh-penguins-gm-jim-rutherford-loves-connor-mcdavids-toughness

Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford loves Connor McDavid's toughness
Jim Matheson
Published on: November 7, 2015 | Last Updated: November 7, 2015 11:50 AM MDT

If Edmonton hockey fans are upset they failed to witness the much anticipated first meeting between Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby on Friday, hockey people around the league are just as sorry.

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford raved about McDavid’s high pain threshold after the teenager broke his collarbone Tuesday and needed surgery.

...

Rutherford — who saw McDavid several times playing spectator at Penguins games last season because it was only two hours down the road from Erie, Pa., where McDavid played for the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters — said he was looking forward to seeing McDavid play in person.

...

A few pre-OHL tweets:

Hockey for hire
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
December 23, 2012 Sunday
BYLINE: by JOSH YOHE
LENGTH: 593 words

...

Connor McDavid, the 15-year-old wunderkind to whom Sidney Crosby compared himself in a recent interview with the Tribune-Review, has taken the Ontario Hockey League by storm.

The favorite to become the top pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, McDavid oozes star power, and a steady stream of Penguins fans can be found at each Erie home game.

"I love that I'm only two hours from Pittsburgh," said McDavid, who idolizes Crosby. "It's a great hockey town, and I'm adjusting to life in Erie. It's been really good here. I love playing in front of our fans."

The fans love watching McDavid, too. Even Crosby recently commented that he has watched two of McDavid's games on television and marvels at his ability to thrive in the OHL at age 15.

...

McDavid could be a sweet 16 for Team Canada at world juniors
Stein, David P. The Gazette [Montreal, Que] 08 Aug 2013: B.3.

...

A fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins because of his role model, Crosby, McDavid did acknowledge he's also a pretty big fan of Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban.

...

http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/3461444-74/mcdavid-crosby-lemieux

Top prospect McDavid gets chance to meet his hero Crosby
By Josh Yohe | Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013, 12:01 a.m.

...

“Unbelievable,” McDavid said. “It was unbelievable just to see him and get to talk to him. He is my idol and my role model. To meet him was a dream come true.”

...

During his visit to Pittsburgh on Sunday, McDavid also displayed many similarities to Crosby on a personal level. McDavid is polite and reserved. He always seems to say the correct thing. He admits to growing up emulating Crosby.

...

The Penguins invited McDavid, along with Erie teammates Stephen Harper and Hayden Hodgsen, to Sunday's game. Although the trio was told it would receive a tour of Consol Energy Center, nothing was said about seating arrangements.

Not long before game time, the teenagers were escorted into a private box.

Lemieux was there waiting for them.

“Totally crazy,” McDavid said. “To watch a hockey game with Mario Lemieux, I mean, it was just crazy.”

...

Crosby had a few minutes of private conversation with McDavid after their initial meeting. When the conversation began to wrap up, Crosby suggested McDavid could come see the Penguins play again.

“Not too far of a drive,” Crosby said.

Sunday's trip doesn't figure to be McDavid's final to an NHL building.

And even though his intelligence and maturity seem far advanced for his age, McDavid was still allowed to be a kid when meeting his hero.

“Pretty amazing,” he said. “I couldn't believe it.”

 

[93LEAFS]

Well, I didn't see a Pens lampshade in his room in hometown hockey....................

 

[The Stig]

Jets, I love that you do so much hard work on threads, but this is kind of.....okie dokie.

 

[93LEAFS]

Due to the Toronto media's widespread association of Connor McDavid with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a passionate hometown fan, an assumption has developed that he will one day play for the Leafs. I have cited numerous articles in the OP as evidence of this assumption, and there seems to be an awareness of it even among mainstream hockey personalities. This narrative has been perpetuated very aggressively in the past by those who believe that hometown players such as Steven Stamkos and John Tavares would return to Toronto on the basis of their childhood fandom of their hometown team.

This thread challenges that assumption not on the basis that he is already committed to another team, but on the basis that he is on also record as saying his favourite team was the Pittsburgh Penguins, not the Leafs -- therefore, if ever an assumption were to be made about his preferred free agent destination, it is that the city would be Pittsburgh, not Toronto.

He's never once been actually quoted to be a Penguins fan. It has been written by writers, but never stated by him. At least in the quotes. Tons of kids have favorite players who don't play for the team they cheer for. Hell, a lot of kids cheer for multiple teams with players they like.

There are a bunch of quotes by him actually stating he's a Leafs fan. Will he ever wear the blue and white in his prime, probably not, and I doubt he's angling to get here. But this is a weird topic to start, and seems like a thread designed to bash Toronto and its fans.

 

[Not So Mighty]

I don't want to tell anyone what they can and cannot talk about, but the kid hasn't even played a full season yet. Can we just marvel at his talent for a bit before we start placing him in another city?

Now stepping off my pedestal/soapbox, I'll give you my honest answer. I expect he'll still be wearing Edmonton colors into his thirties.

 

[snipes]

What an odd thread. Why go through all the effort?

It's very well documented he was a diehard Leafs fan growing up. No need to bash Leaf fans at all, they got their core. They couldn't afford him even if they wanted to with Matthews, Marner, and Nylander getting paid.

In terms of trying to bait a preferred "destination", you wasted your of time. He's happy to be an Oiler and by all accounts he's a loyal person. The Oilers are his team and he's not going anywhere. Our billionaire owner will give him a blank cheque and whatever he wants.

 

[JA]

He's never once been actually quoted to be a Penguins fan. It has been written by writers, but never stated by him. At least in the quotes. Tons of kids have favorite players who don't play for the team they cheer for. Hell, a lot of kids cheer for multiple teams with players they like.

There are a bunch of quotes by him actually stating he's a Leafs fan. Will he ever wear the blue and white in his prime, probably not, and I doubt he's angling to get here. But this is a weird topic to start, and seems like a thread designed to bash Toronto and its fans.

This thread is not intended to offend Leafs fans, but it is to challenge the notion that Connor McDavid has any unique loyalty to the Leafs; outside of the Toronto media, it seems that there are several articles suggesting that he has just as much of an affection for the Pittsburgh Penguins. I am genuinely curious as to what his feelings about the Penguins are, and whether it would play a role in any of the McDavid to Toronto speculation that sometimes appears. If anyone has been pushing the McDavid to Toronto narrative, it's the Toronto sports media.

He was identified as a Penguins fan as young as the age of 12, before he ever played for Erie-- that's the first article in the OP. It doesn't hurt that he later spent three years in the Penguins' backyard. Numerous articles have pointed to him being a Penguins fan specifically because of Sidney Crosby, his role model. Crosby has been in the NHL since Connor was eight years old.

This is all relevant, as it lessens the impact of McDavid's emotional attachment or loyalty to the Leafs as a talking point with regards to the future of his career. It can't be argued that McDavid will sign with the Leafs in the future if the only justification is that he was a Leafs fan. That argument bears no weight, yet it is the argument that many journalists have used to link McDavid with the Leafs. That is the issue I'm digging at here. If that is the link being used, then it is perfectly fair to say that he has an equal attachment to the Penguins.

In other words, it's not a valid argument.


A few pre-OHL tweets:

Hockey for hire
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
December 23, 2012 Sunday
BYLINE: by JOSH YOHE
LENGTH: 593 words

...

Connor McDavid, the 15-year-old wunderkind to whom Sidney Crosby compared himself in a recent interview with the Tribune-Review, has taken the Ontario Hockey League by storm.

The favorite to become the top pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, McDavid oozes star power, and a steady stream of Penguins fans can be found at each Erie home game.

"I love that I'm only two hours from Pittsburgh," said McDavid, who idolizes Crosby. "It's a great hockey town, and I'm adjusting to life in Erie. It's been really good here. I love playing in front of our fans."

The fans love watching McDavid, too. Even Crosby recently commented that he has watched two of McDavid's games on television and marvels at his ability to thrive in the OHL at age 15.

...

McDavid could be a sweet 16 for Team Canada at world juniors
Stein, David P. The Gazette [Montreal, Que] 08 Aug 2013: B.3.

...

A fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins because of his role model, Crosby, McDavid did acknowledge he's also a pretty big fan of Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban.

...

http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/3461444-74/mcdavid-crosby-lemieux

Top prospect McDavid gets chance to meet his hero Crosby
By Josh Yohe | Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013, 12:01 a.m.

...

“Unbelievable,” McDavid said. “It was unbelievable just to see him and get to talk to him. He is my idol and my role model. To meet him was a dream come true.”

...

During his visit to Pittsburgh on Sunday, McDavid also displayed many similarities to Crosby on a personal level. McDavid is polite and reserved. He always seems to say the correct thing. He admits to growing up emulating Crosby.

...

The Penguins invited McDavid, along with Erie teammates Stephen Harper and Hayden Hodgsen, to Sunday's game. Although the trio was told it would receive a tour of Consol Energy Center, nothing was said about seating arrangements.

Not long before game time, the teenagers were escorted into a private box.

Lemieux was there waiting for them.

“Totally crazy,” McDavid said. “To watch a hockey game with Mario Lemieux, I mean, it was just crazy.”

...

Crosby had a few minutes of private conversation with McDavid after their initial meeting. When the conversation began to wrap up, Crosby suggested McDavid could come see the Penguins play again.

“Not too far of a drive,” Crosby said.

Sunday's trip doesn't figure to be McDavid's final to an NHL building.

And even though his intelligence and maturity seem far advanced for his age, McDavid was still allowed to be a kid when meeting his hero.

“Pretty amazing,” he said. “I couldn't believe it.”

 

[leaflover]

I know it's Connor McDavid and he's the new face of the NHL but not everything about the guy is interesting.

 

[BackHandShelf22]

I respect the work put in, but im still baffled about the subject matter. Could be the least valuable information I've read of late.

 

[93LEAFS]

This thread is not intended to offend Leafs fans, but it is to challenge the notion that Connor McDavid's favorite team is the Leafs; outside of the Toronto media, it seems that there are several articles suggesting that he has just as much of an affection for the Pittsburgh Penguins. I am genuinely curious as to what his feelings about the Penguins are, and whether it would play a role in any of the McDavid to Toronto speculation that sometimes appears. If anyone has been pushing the McDavid to Toronto narrative, it's the Toronto sports media.

He was identified as a Penguins fan as young as the age of 12, before he ever played for Erie-- that's the first article in the OP. It doesn't hurt that he later spent three years in the Penguins' backyard.

He's been quoted as a Leafs fan much more recently than that, and I didn't see a Pens lamp shade in his room.

I know tons of locals around here who cheered for other teams as kids (or had second teams from my generation it tended to be Avs or Red Wings, for this generation it appears to be Pens and Chicago) then ended up as fully Leafs fans.

He pretty clearly had Leafs memorabilia in his room on home town hockey. He had stuff with Crosby, but not much Pens stuff.

Either way, he's likely staying in Edmonton, and I doubt the Pens have any pull outside of Crosby.

 

[JA]

He's been quoted as a Leafs fan much more recently than that, and I didn't see a Pens lamp shade in his room.

I know tons of locals around here who cheered for other teams as kids (or had second teams from my generation it tended to be Avs or Red Wings, for this generation it appears to be Pens and Chicago) then ended up as fully Leafs fans.

He pretty clearly had Leafs memorabilia in his room on home town hockey. He had stuff with Crosby, but not much Pens stuff.

Either way, he's likely staying in Edmonton, and I doubt the Pens have any pull outside of Crosby.

http://triblive.com/sports/penguins/2755915-85/mcdavid-crosby-erie-hockey-game-ohl-otters-age-exceptional-harrington

Crosby sees greatness in 15-year-old McDavid
By Josh Yohe | Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012, 12:01 a.m.

...

Comparing 15-year-olds with icons of Crosby's stature often isn't becoming, but then, it was Crosby who made the comment.

McDavid only sounds his age when speaking of his “hero.”

“I can't believe Sidney Crosby said that about me,” McDavid said. “I mean, that's my childhood hero. I'm a Pens fan because of him. I'm totally speechless. I'm amazed.”

Crosby brings out a clear modesty in McDavid. Although the Erie Otters' center comes across as humble in every conceivable setting, he has known from a young age that his talent is special. Like Crosby, McDavid did interviews while in grade school and has been a quasi-celebrity in Canada for years.

McDavid is only the third player to receive “exceptional status,” allowing him into the OHL at age 15. John Tavares, an eventual first overall pick by the New York Islanders in the 2009, was the first person to receive exceptional status.

“I was 8 when that happened,” McDavid said. “And I said to myself at the time that I wanted to be good enough to get into the OHL early. I always wanted that.”

...

*I have slightly altered the premise of this thread since initially posting it.

 

[Pyromaniac]

So he is a fan of two teams, so what? I know quite a few Leafs fans who cheer for the Penguins/Hawks. When you haven't seen your team be meaningful for a while you turn to other teams in the playoffs to provide entertainment. Growing up I cheered for those Avs teams, seeing as the Hawks were only a source of disappointment and pain.

 

[Dog]

Who cares kids switch up their favourite teams all the time

 

[AustonsNostrils]

It's quite possibly going to be an unprecedented situation with McDavid, hockey's never had its best player become a UFA at such a young age, 25 years old. If things go as most think they will how much money would some team be willing to pay him - $20M a year?

We'll know pretty soon what his feelings are about the future when his ELC is up, if he doesn't give up some UFA years in that contract - huge drama for Edmonton.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Re-opening this thread. Don't bother posting one-liners to disparage the topic. Keep it civil and add to the discussion.

 

[tacogeoff]

I think he will end up signing in Florida or Cali once he hits RFA waaaaaaay down the road. I mean who wouldn't want to and he should have at least one SC ring by then anyway.

 

[BayStreetBully]

McDavid was a Leafs fan. You should see his bedroom and childhood photos. He's also a Crosby fan, and by extension I'm not surprised if he wants the Penguins to do well as long as Crosby is on that team.

Heck, I'm a McDavid fan and I'd like to see Edmonton do well as long as it doesn't conflict with the Leafs.

 

[Stuckinthe2ndround*]

Heck, I'm a McDavid fan and I'd like to see Edmonton do well as long as it doesn't conflict with the Leafs.

You shut your mouth!

 

[hagelin1381]

Is this some sort of McDavid to Pittsburgh thread? No way I can see that happening ever, even if he wanted to

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

Who cares? I hate that he's an Oiler, but he's an Oiler. Won't be going anywhere for a long time.

Besides, you'd think the Leafs would be over it by now.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Unless the oilers are a complete dumpster fire for the next six seasons, I don't expect Mcdavid to go anywhere. We heard the same thing about how Crosby was going to Montreal as soon he was a UFA in 2012. But hey, I certainly wouldn't complain if he wants to join the penguins in 2022.

 

[Preisst*]

Over the past few years, the Toronto media has talked at length about Connor McDavid's fandom of the Toronto Maple Leafs, his hometown team. This, of course, will fuel speculation for years that Connor will eventually return to Toronto to represent his childhood favorite team as a player -- unfair to Edmonton Oilers fans, but an unavoidable reality. What has received far less attention, however, is that Connor was also a Pittsburgh Penguins fan and idolized Sidney Crosby during his youth. Even as an Erie Otter, he visited the CONSOL Energy Center multiple times per year to see the Penguins play live.

I'm trying to figure out how and why any of this is "unfair" to Edmonton Oiler fans?

 

[Preisst*]

Who cares? I hate that he's an Oiler, but he's an Oiler. Won't be going anywhere for a long time.

Besides, you'd think the Leafs would be over it by now.

I suspect they are. Not sure they ever not 'over it' in the first place.

 

[Kamal007]

“I’m from Toronto. You have to be a Leafs fan,” McDavid said in the article. “So, of course, I was. Of course. My dad was a Leafs fan. Every Saturday night watching Hockey Night in Canada would be my favourite time."

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/...e-leafs-dream-come-true-no-1-draft-pick-2015/

2015

"With the Leafs and how they've been playing of late, it's hard to be a Leafs fan right now," McDavid said. "Your loyalty goes to the team you're playing for."

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/connor-mcdavid-hard-leafs-fan/

2015

Not crazy for kids in Toronto to have two teams, as the Leafs have been so bad.

 

[542365]

Why is this news? Some Leafs fans are just delusional and think everyone born anywhere near Toronto is dying to come back and play with the Leafs, and it almost never happens in any city. Suter and Parise went to Minnesota, Stastny came to St. Louis....and? Really, how often does it happen that a big name free agent returns to play for their hometown team? It's exceedingly rare, especially for how often the possibility gets brought up around here. It's almost never a major factor in a player's decision. Sometimes it's a tie breaker, but it's never "oh I am for certain going back to my hometown to lead my team to greatness". It doesn't happen.