Oilers McDavid, Bouchard had tense exchange at practice – Hockey Writer – Edmonton Oilers
Things got a little tense at Edmonton Oilers practice on Sunday (Nov. 9), a day after they suffered one of the worst losses in franchise history, a 9-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche at Rogers Place.
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Video shared on social media by TSN’s Ryan Rishaug shows Oilers captain Connor McDavid having a heated conversation with blueliner Evan Bouchard and his defensive partner Mathias Ekholm.
The exchange didn’t last long, and it didn’t really get too heated. Still, it caused a stir in oil country, where there were serious concerns about the two-time defending Western Conference champion Oilers’ early-season struggles.
Edmonton has lost three straight games, won just two of its last eight and has just four regular-season wins all season. The Oilers are currently seventh in the Pacific Division and 13th in the Pacific Division with 16 points with a 6-6-4 record.th in the Western Conference standings.
The Oilers were thoroughly humiliated by AV on Saturday night. The 9-1 record tied Edmonton’s record for the largest home margin in NHL history. But more disturbing than the numbers on the scoreboard was the Oilers’ reaction: a distinct lack of emotion.
No one saw anyone trying to shoot each other on the bench. No one tried to drop the gloves to motivate teammates. Generally, no one seemed too angry or upset. That’s why worried Oilers fans should be encouraged by a scene from practice less than 24 hours after Saturday’s historic loss.
Although McDavid is full of imagination and creativity in his game, his personality is not particularly active. He is not someone who is expected to give rousing speeches or lay down laws (at least not publicly). So seeing him interact with teammates like he did on Sunday is different from similar scenes with other captains in the NHL.
Speaking to the media after Sunday’s practice, McDavid was asked about his interaction with Bouchard and provided a fairly complete answer.
“Everyone as a whole wants to get better, including myself,” McDavid said. “Everyone wants to do better and everyone has more to bring to the table, so you start to see some of that and it has to translate into the game. It’s normal to talk to other people about different things that you see out there. The game can feel unorganized and out of sync at times. You can only fix those things by talking and communicating with your teammates, so I think you’re starting to see some of that.”
Knoblauch encouraged by conversations among players
Likewise, Oilers head coach Chris Knoblauch didn’t try to downplay the moment between McDavid and Bouchard. In fact, he sees this as a positive development.
Coach Knoblauch spoke after today’s game #oiler The team will look to bounce back from yesterday’s loss to Colorado and turn their attention to tomorrow’s game against Columbus.@enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/zGiEBSeh32
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 9, 2025
“I think it’s frustrating, but there’s a conversation,” Knoblauch said when speaking to the media after Sunday’s practice. “I think the worst part about fighting or hostility is when partners don’t talk or the team doesn’t talk. Because when no one talks, no one knows what anyone else is thinking. And now, there’s communication, and I appreciate that.
“Yeah, if somebody’s frustrated, they should be frustrated. But if everybody stays silent, we’re not going to grow and get over it, and I like everybody talking, whether it’s in the locker room, in our meetings or on the ice. But we have to (take away) some of the frustration from other teams as well.”
Communication is not necessarily a sign of discord
As we all know, the first 16 games of the season were, frankly, a disaster for Bouchard. While nearly every Oilers player is responsible for the team’s poor start, no one is more culpable than the 26-year-old defenseman, whose minus-11 rating is tied for fifth in NHL plus-minus.
He made countless egregious mistakes that often resulted in the puck ending up in Edmonton’s net. Meanwhile, his offensive output — which in the past has more than made up for his defensive deficiencies — is well below the prolific levels of the past few seasons, which earned Bouchard a four-year, $42 million contract extension.
With that in mind, it’s easy to conclude that McDavid — and the rest of the Oilers organization — has grown tired of Bouchard, and their exchanges indicate some discord. But that’s not the case. In fact, just days ago, McDavid was playing for a troubled Bouchard.
What was witnessed at training on Sunday was nothing but the inevitable downside of a successful relationship. The only reason it made news was because it was something rarely seen in public among this group of people. But that’s exactly what the Oilers needed to turn things around.
Oilers hope to turn things around starting Monday
These Oilers were never going to be a passionate or relentlessly physical team. That’s not who they are, and that’s not necessarily who they have to be. After all, 17 months ago they were one goal away from the Stanley Cup, and this June they were just two wins away from the title.
But if they’re going to take that extra step, they might need to evolve a little, starting with the man wearing the “C.” Maybe that’s what’s happening now.
Let’s be honest, no one really understands the actual dynamics of a team unless they’re in the locker room. Others can only judge based on what they see, and they will be paying close attention to the Oilers’ performance against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday (Nov. 10) at Rogers Place.
