While it may be hard to believe, the upcoming week marks 10Th Connor McDavid’s first game anniversary in Edmonton.
The current captain of the Edmonton Oilers is now making his debut in the city during an exhibition match at Rexall Place on September 16, 2015, which consists of players from the Oilers Rookie Camp, Alberta Golden Bears Men’s College. McDavid recorded three assists to help the Oilers rookies win 6-3.
That night has faded out of memory over the past decade, but it is historical for a variety of reasons. Let’s review:
The game against the Golden Bear is an annual tradition
The showdown between a rookie in the Oilers team and the University of Alberta men’s hockey team was an annual tradition that began in 1988, but has not happened since 2017 because of a “business problem” between Oilers boss Daryl Katz and the university.
Incredibly, the first round pick has never been a rookie for the Oilers vs. the Golden Bears. This will change in 2015.
Oilers and bears set university attendance records
The excitement of the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL draft was so high that the game between the Oilers rookie and the Golden Bears was moved to its traditional location, the 2,700-seat Clare Drake Arena on the Alberta University campus.
.@gbhky Thank you, you guys! pic.twitter.com/6zizhidjml
— Edmonton Oilers (@edmontonoilers) September 17, 2015
The Oilers had a total of 14,434 spectators at the time, setting a record for the biggest attendance of Canadian college teams (from ‘Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl Leon Draisaitl leading rookie offense, all in the winning CIS championship,’ Edmonton Sun9/17/15).
It was also a prelude to the last season of Rexall Place Oilers Hockey, which team had been open since 1974 when the arena was opened as the Northlands Arena. The Oilers moved into Rogers Square in September 2016.
McDavid’s first oiler game from Penticton
This is McDavid’s second time wearing the Oilers game. The first example of this was at the Young Star Classic Championship in Penticton, British Columbia five days ago
McDavid’s goal and assists on September 11, 2015 were the goal and assists of the Oilers rookie at the South Carnars rookie destroyed the Vancouver Canucks rookie 8-2, defeating it at the South Okanagan Events Center, which is packed with afters, fanatics, fans hope to finish No. 1 in the 2015 NHL Draft.
Today, they are best friends, but McDavid and Leon Draisaitl only met each other in September 2015. Edmonton overall picked third in 2014 and is attending his second oiler rookie training camp.
Not surprisingly, their chemistry was clearly visible from the beginning. The dynamic duo of the future played a role together in Edmonton’s top Powerball team, which generated two goals. Draisaitl scored Edmonton’s first goal of the night in the first stage, with McDavid taking a second-level assist.
McDavid’s first lap length
McDavid and Draisaitl each surrounded their lines with the Golden Bears. McDavid’s lucky panel members are left-wing Anton Slepyshev and right-wing Cole Sanford.
Slepyshev continued to play three seasons for the oil workers. But for McDavid, who scored in the third stage, sharing a night with generations of talents is probably his biggest moment.
“It’s really exciting to play with him,” Sanford said after the game. Edmonton Sun9/17/15). “It’s a great opportunity for me. He’s a great player, the way he glided, the way he handled the hockey at full speed, and it was a privilege to play with him. It’s fun.”
Then Sanford, a 20-year-old Western Hockey League (WHL) drug hat Tigers (WHL), was not selected and invited the Oilers rookie camp. He has never been close to building the NHL and has spent almost all his career with the Cardiff Devil of the British Elite Hockey League, and he continues to play today.
Related: The prospects of 3 Oilers who stand out in rookie competitions
Edmonton’s 2025 rookie training camp is currently underway, with the Oilers rookie against the Calgary Flames rookies at the exhibition at Rogers Place on Friday (September 12). There were a lot of young talents on the ice in that game, but nothing out of reach at McDavid’s level. What happened between the Oilers rookie and the Golden Bears ten years ago was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime event.
