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Connor McDavid was otherworldly in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, dragging the Edmonton Oilers within one victory of the franchise's first championship since 1990. Although it ended in heartbreak in Game 7, the captain cannot be blamed for the team falling to the Florida Panthers in the most important game of his career.
And Amazon cameras captured all of the rawest and most emotional moments during the series, as evidenced in a sneak peek for the company's new docuseries, titled “FACEOFF: Inside the NHL.”
The trailer was released on Monday and featured a viral clip that shows McDavid ripping into his teammates after the Oilers lost Game 2 to the Panthers in Sunrise.
“That's not good enough. It's the Finals,” the 27-year-old can be heard screaming at the 1:14 mark. “Dig in, right now.”
On the ice. Off the record. The new series FACEOFF: Inside the NHL premieres October 4th globally on Prime Video. pic.twitter.com/C2hDSosQO6
— NHL (@NHL) September 23, 2024
It was as raw emotion as hockey fans have seen from McDavid, who is usually calm, cool and collected. He responded to the viral trailer after Edmonton's 6-3 preseason loss to the Calgary Flames on Monday night.
“It was never my plan to be the star of the show,” McDavid admitted, per Sportsnet's Mark Spector. “I think we wanted to dip our toe in but … here we are. Head first off the diving board.”
Cameras followed around multiple star NHL players during the 2024 postseason, and based on the trailer, it looks to be appointment viewing for hockey fans.
“You're going to see us at our most vulnerable,” McDavid continued. “You can't say that we didn't let [the cameras] in. They shot things in our most intense moments, most meaningful moments. You know, they shot it. They may as well use it.”
The series begins on Amazon Prime on October 4.
Connor McDavid nearly led Oilers to 1st Stanley Cup title since 1990
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Although the Oilers came up short in their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2006, McDavid did everything he could. He was the first player to win the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP on the losing team since JS Giguere in 2003.
The Toronto native led the postseason in scoring, putting up a ridiculous 42 points in just 25 games. He also went nuclear in Games 4 and 5 of the Finals, recording four points in both contests. That helped him set the assist record for a single playoff run.
Although fans are used to seeing the on-ice product, McDavid told Spector that there's also a human element in the ultra-competitive nature of the playoffs.
“You're going to see hockey players, but you're going to see the human side of it. You're going to see joy on one side, and you're going to see a lot of heartbreak on one side as well,” he reflected.
Along with McDavid, the docuseries will also feature Leon Draisaitl, Matthew Tkachuk, Zach Hyman, William Nylander, David Pastrnak, Jack Eichel and Quinn Hughes, among others.
Although McDavid's herculean effort wasn't enough in 2024, the Oilers arguably got even better in the offseason. It'll be Stanley Cup or bust for Edmonton again in 2025, and again, it'll be No. 97 leading the charge.
The Oilers open their 2024-25 campaign against the Winnipeg Jets on October 9.
