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Connor McDavid had an excuse to celebrate after helping the Oilers punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final on Sunday night. He opted to go on a beer run following the game, but it was unfortunately marred by some overzealous fans who are being roundly criticized for failing to let him live his life in peace.
It’s been close to a decade since the Edmonton Oilers scooped up a generational prospect by selecting Connor McDavid with the first overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, and he’s easily lived up to the hype that surrounded him while cementing himself as the best all-around player in the league.
After all, we’re talking about a seven-time All-Star who’s led the NHL in points in five of the nine seasons he’s played while winning the Art Ross Trophy three times and securing the Ted Lindsey Award on four occasions. He’s still in search of his first Stanley Cup win, but he’ll have the chance to do exactly that when the Oilers face off against the Panthers in a series that will kick off on Saturday night.
I’d argue most hockey players don’t have to deal with the amount of attention a star player in the NBA or NFL is regularly subjected to when they wander into public. However, it’s safe to assume McDavid has his fair share of encounters with random fans due to his status as a superstar and the fact that he plays in Edmonton.
That includes the incredibly awkward situation he ended up at the center of in the wake of Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals (where he opened up the scoring with an absolutely filthy goal), as McDavid was hounded by a few fans who swarmed him as he was attempting to load some booze into the back of his car and was obviously less than thrilled about the encounter.
— Oilers After Dark's -B.W. (@OADsBraydonW) June 4, 2024
It’s a shame people have to be reminded not to engage in the kind of behavior that was on display here, but I guess that’s just the reality we live in.