Connor McDavid is facing a wave of criticism online after his postgame comments about a collision in the first period of Edmonton’s game against the Anaheim Ducks.
McDavid was hit while driving hard to the net early in the game, a play that led to Vasily Podkolzin laying a beatdown on Drew Helleson and getting a game misconduct for a “one-man fight”. Speaking to reporters afterward, the Oilers captain didn’t hold back. “It’s a play that’s close to home for me,” he said. “Those are dangerous plays, in my opinion.”
McDavid reflects on the hit from Helleson in the first period.
McDavid Had Flashbacks to Past Injuries
In April 2019, McDavid sustained a serious knee injury when he crashed into the goalpost after being tripped by Mark Giordano. He had to undergo an intensive six-month non-surgical rehab program. During his rookie season, Brandon Manning took him down in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers; he fell shoulder-first into the boards and needed surgery, sidelining him for several months.
McDavid was reminded of those times, saying, “Yeah, obviously it’s a play that you know is, I guess, a little sensitive to me. Those are plays that I’ve been really, really hurt on before. You know, going into the end wall, going into the net- those types of plays are, I find, dangerous. And obviously, I didn’t love it.”
“I don’t think anyone really knows what it’s like to go into the net Mach 1…” he added.
Fans Not Giving McDavid a Free Pass
Fans reacted swiftly and largely unsympathetically. Many argued that the contact was routine for a player who regularly attacks the crease at high speed. One user wrote that McDavid “cuts hard to the net with reckless abandon nearly every game,” adding that a hit like this was bound to happen. “Drive the net, expect to get hit. D-men can’t just let him walk in and score.”
Not everyone agreed that it was a “clean play,” but many wondered what a defender is supposed to do in that situation. Others went after the tone of McDavid’s comments, with one commenter saying he “just sounds entitled.”
Are Fans Turning on McDavid?
Even supporters of the Oilers star were hard-pressed to defend him. One self-described fan wrote that they love McDavid but questioned whether players are supposed to simply let him execute his trademark speed rush and go post to post. “Players on the other side are gonna lose their jobs if they just let you have your way out there,” the fan added. “You’re allowed to be hit, it’s part of the game.”
Many called him whiny and suggested he “would not have survived 90s hockey.” Others name-dropped hard-hitting defensemen of the past, such as Scott Stevens, imagining how they would have handled him. A few critics went further, accusing McDavid of dishing out physical play of his own and questioning whether he had the right to complain.
No one wanted to see McDavid hurt, but a clear narrative emerged: being the best in the league doesn’t give you the right to uncontested trips to the crease.
McDavid rarely faces this kind of criticism. Even among rival fans, he is typically regarded as the sport’s most electrifying talent. Some of this is opposing fans just trolling. However, some fans in Edmonton were even surprised that McDavid was so vocal about the play, given how he admitted, “It’s a situation I find myself a lot in.”
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McDavid’s Postgame Comments Have Fans Turning on the Superstar