Connor McDavid Comments on Refusing to Accept Conn Smythe Trophy
Photo credit: Greg Wyshynski on X
Connor McDavid had a historically good playoff performance this year and won the Conn Smythe, but didn't personally accept the award.
It was an extremely difficult moment for McDavid and the Oilers. Their dream of the Stanley Cup was over for this year, and before the Panthers began their celebration, Gary Bettman called out McDavid to accept the award. However, McDavid had already gone back to the locker room. In the NHL's new behind the scenes documentary, McDavid said in the moment that he wouldn't go back on the ice to accept the award.
Not coming out to accept the playoff MVP trophy caused some controversy in the hockey world, including former winner JS Giguere repeatedly criticizing McDavid for an apparent lack of respect.
Let's make this as clear as possible: There was absolutely nothing wrong with McDavid not accepting the Conn Smythe Trophy in person. The loss of the Stanley Cup is incredibly emotional for the players, and Connor McDavid wanted to be with his teammates at the time.
If anything, McDavid prioritized the relationship with his teammates over recognizing his individual success - and then still took criticism for it. McDavid made a difficult decision to not accept the award, but it was the right choice and true leadership from the Captain. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed after the Cup Final how emotional the scene was for the Oilers.
»There was a lot of debate about Connor McDavid not coming on-ice for the Conn Smythe Trophy presentation. Apparently, he did agree to do it, but before it was presented, he went into the Oilers room to address his teammates. That was so emotional he either didn't want to leave or was in no headspace to leave.»
- Elliotte Friedman
- Elliotte Friedman
McDavid scored an incredible 42 points and broke Gretzky's playoff assist record to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. McDavid is just the second skater in NHL history to win the award in a losing effort. His individual talent is a complete marvel to the entire sport of hockey, and that's exemplified by the historical unlikelihood of this award. Surely, McDavid and the Oilers will be more motivated than ever to get back there and finish the job.
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