November 16, 2024 by Ryan Lotsberg

“We’re not talking greatness. We’re talking legendary type stuff.”

Those were the words that Leon Draisaitl used to describe Connor McDavid after Tuesday’s overtime victory over the New York Islanders. McDavid recorded four points that night, which put him at 999 career NHL points.

Draisaitl also predicted that McDavid would get his 1000th career NHL point on Thursday night against the Nashville Predators. He ended up making sure of it. Darnell Nurse sprung Draisaitl and McDavid on a two-on-one early in the second period. Everyone in the building knew that pass was going to McDavid, and everyone knew it would end up in the back of the net. McDavid buried the one-timer and got mobbed by his teammates who spilled over the boards and onto the ice to celebrate the milestone with their captain.

McDavid became the 99th player to score 1000 points in the NHL. Only three men did in fewer games than it took McDavid to do it (659).

It was fitting that Draisaitl and Nurse, McDavid’s two oldest and closest friends on the team, combined on the milestone goal. “It’s funny how it works out like that. I remember my 100th point in the COVID year or whatever, and both of them assisted on that as well… It’s pretty special that it comes from Leo and obviously Nurse” McDavid told the assembled media in the locker room after the game.

“All of us have grown up on this ice… We grew up here. We grew up on this ice, we grew up playing in front of you guys [Oilers fans]” McDavid said to Tony Brar during the post-game interview after he was named the first, second, and third star of the game.

When McDavid was asked to talk about Draisaitl and Nurse, he said that “They’re teammates, the guys you go to battle with, the guys that have been here forever through the bad times and the good times. You build a brotherhood and you build a bond, and we certainly got that… these moments are a great time to look back and appreciate the things and the people that mean a lot to you, and those two certainly are both.”

“It is pretty fitting actually” Drasaitl said to Jason Gregor. “You know, if there was a third assist, you’d like to get [Ryan Nugent-Hopkins] in there as well somewhere… but it’s certainly fitting, you know all three of us kind of came in at the same time, year after year, three years in a row, and known each other for a long time, become lifelong friends off the ice. It’s a good story.”

McDavid is normally pretty mellow and even keeled, but it was evident that this milestone was emotional for him. His dad, Brian McDavid, flew in for the game. “Not getting it tonight was never an option,” McDavid said.

“You guys [the fans] are making me emotional, man. I’m getting emotional in my old age” McDavid said to Brar.

“It’s pretty special… To see my teammates, to see the fans react the way they did, it just means a lot to me. I feel incredibly lucky right now” McDavid told Gene Principe after the game. “It’s a special night for sure, and one that I’ll never forget.”

McDavid spoke in more detail about his feelings in his post-game media availability. “Some of these things have hit me more emotionally than I would’ve thought. You know, you spend your whole life playing hockey and loving the game, and I just wanted to play and make the NHL; and you know, 1000 points later, I’ve been doing it for ten years now. It’s pretty special.”

It was clearly emotional for Draisaitl as well. He was asked if there was a chance that he would’ve taken that shot rather than passing it to McDavid, and he chuckled before saying “No, of course not. I mean , he could’ve had three guys all over him, I would’ve still tried to get it to him. You know, I think that every guy on our team would’ve done the same thing. He deserves that, and that shows you how much we love him and how much we appreciate everything he does for our organization. It’s a great night.”

When asked about the embrace between him and McDavid after the goal, Draisaitl said that “It’s a special moment… This is legendary stuff right; so to witness that, be a part of it, and to have seen him grow up from when he was eighteen when we first met him, it’s pretty cool. Pretty amazing to be a part of.”

McDavid said that “These milestones are a great time to reflect”. It’s not just a time for him to reflect and look back. It’s a chance for us fans to do the same. It wasn’t just an emotional night for him.

Watching McDavid play hockey is an emotional experience. Those 1000 points represent the thousands of times he’s made me get up from my seat. He does something that makes me smile and shake my head in disbelief every game, whether it’s a subtle stick handling move or a ridiculous goal. McDavid doesn’t merely collect points. He does it with a style and a flare that’s unmatched by anyone in the sport.

The anticipation builds every time I see him wind up and fly through the neutral zone with the puck, or when he circles the offensive zone with the puck. You just know something exciting is about to happen, like when he walked through the Columbus Blue Jackets and scored in his first game back after breaking his collarbone as a rookie, or when he split four New York Rangers defenders and tucked it home to tie the game in a dramatic comeback win on Kevin Lowe’s jersey retirement night.

He even does special things in the playoffs, like his individual effort that sealed Game 7 against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the 2022 playoffs, or when he maneuvered around Miro Heiskanen and roofed a backhander over Jake Oettinger’s shoulder to open the scoring in the game that sent the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final last season.

I can’t forget all the four and five-point nights, the hat tricks, the overtime winners, and the big plays as well. 

We’ve shared the lows from the tail end of the Decade of Darkness and the painful playoff losses, and we’ve shared in all the highs. We watched him cry in the dressing room after Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last spring. He’s brought us to tears many times, and we shared those tears with him.

Related: 2024 Oilers Playoff Run: Coming Together – Part One

We’ve watched him evolve as a player from a kid that would just try to beat everybody wide with his superior speed to a player that nobody can stop. Draisaitl and Nurse have had a much closer view of McDavid’s growth as a person, but the fans have seen it from afar. We’ve seen a mild mannered kid take the city by storm. We watched McDavid become the youngest captain in NHL history, and we watched him evolve into the leader that he is today. We’ve also seen him build a life here in Edmonton, and we saw him marry the love of his life this past summer.

McDavid said that “You take it for granted sometimes… These moments give you a chance to look back and be grateful.” That applies to the fans too. The fact that we get to watch McDavid do what he does is a privilege that I certainly don’t take for granted. He’s 27 years old, and he’s only played in 659 NHL games. 2000 points is well within reach for him. That would make him the second highest scoring player in the history of the game. We’re watching a legend play out in front of our very eyes. It’s something that I’m grateful for.

It’s been an incredible first ten years of the McDavid era in Edmonton. There have been a lot of incredible moments, such as the one we saw on Thursday night. There are still so many more moments to forward to though. Bigger moments are ahead.