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Connor McDavid has one goal as he prepares to don the Maple Leaf on Olympic ice: win gold.
The Edmonton Oilers captain isn’t thinking about creating a special moment or what role he’ll take on.
“I just want to win a gold medal, that’s the only thing that matters,” he said on Wednesday. “There’s a lot of great players on that team. Everyone is going to play a role, everyone is going to play a part. The goal is just to win a gold, that’s it.”
Some of Canada’s iconic Olympic hockey moments have stuck with the superstar centre.
“I vaguely remember the 2002 [Salt Lake City] one,” said McDavid, who was five years old at the time. “I remember the whole thing with the loonie in the ice. That was a pretty cool story, looking back on it.
“Obviously, there’s the Sid [Crosby] one in 2010. I remember that one pretty good.”
Nineteen-year-old Macklin Celebrini will join Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon on the Canadian men’s Olympic hockey team, as NHLers return to the Winter Games for the first time in more than a decade.
Crosby and other NHL players haven’t competed at the Olympics since the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia. The Milano Cortina Games will mark McDavid’s first experience at the tournament.
But getting a shot at playing on the world stage was never a given.
‘Gearing up to go’
“You always wonder. You never know if you’re going to get the opportunity,” McDavid said. “But obviously here we are. We’re getting ready to go and gearing up to go. I’m really excited about the opportunity.”
Playing against the world’s best is a boon for high-level players, said Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch.
“Whether it’s [Leon] Draisaitl or [McDavid] or whoever’s going to be at that tournament, I think those players like that extra competition,” he said. “You see it in the playoffs. They like it when the stakes are higher. And here, for a tournament representing your country, I assume that’s something they’re going to cherish.”
Just how much of the Olympics McDavid gets to experience remains to be seen.
He isn’t sure yet whether he’ll be at the opening ceremonies or if he’ll get to take in some of the other events.
“It’s the Olympic Games, but it’s a hockey tournament at the end of the day. We’re there to play hockey, and we’re there to do a job,” he said.
“It would be cool to experience the city and know what it’s like. I think it’s pretty spread out this year with things happening all over the place, so it might be a little bit of a unique experience. But we’re there to play a hockey tournament and are there to win.”
The Oilers (27-19-8) still have four games to play before the Olympic break, starting Thursday when they host the San Jose Sharks.
It’s been another stellar season for McDavid, who leads not only his team but also the league in points with 33 goals and 59 assists over 54 games.
The looming Olympics impacted how McDavid and many other NHL players prepared for the campaign, and the Oilers star admitted the Games have long been in his thoughts.
“Going into the summer, you know you need a big summer and a big year. You have to play a lot of hockey and get yourself ready for what should be a great tournament,” he said.
“I’m definitely excited about it, it’s on my mind a lot these days for sure. And I’m excited to get going.”
McDavid and the rest of the Canadian men’s hockey team will begin their tournament on Feb. 12 against Czechia.
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