Oilers' Connor McDavid finally gets chance to shine on Olympics stage for Team Canada

The timing had been just out of place for Connor McDavid.

The last Olympics in which NHL players could compete in the men's hockey competition was in 2014. McDavid was the first overall pick in the NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers in 2015.

In 2018, no NHL players were at the Olympics.

In 2022, the same story.

Finally, in 2026, NHL players are back. McDavid gets the stage.

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In the time since being drafted, McDavid has turned into the best hockey player on the planet. He stole the show at the 4 Nations Face-Off last year. But he had never played in an Olympics.

Well, until Thursday.

And McDavid didn't hold back.

He did exactly what you'd expect him to do in the opener against Czechia. Three assists, ending in goals by three different players, a McDavid kind of game if there's ever been one.

He isn't always the most assertive shooter of the puck, but he doesn't have to be. He sees plays before they happen, skates past everyone as if he's playing on fast forward, and yeah, if needed, he can score himself, too.

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There will be tougher games for Team Canada, but that's to worry about later. The reality is that Thursday, for McDavid and so many of his other teammates, was a chance they've been waiting for that they weren't positive they'd ever get.

McDavid in the Olympics is a special sight. He made sure to seize his first chance at it, and there will be more to come.

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