McDavid steals the show

 

By Jordan Caschera

The Windsor Spitfires played in front of a sold out crowd as they hosted Connor McDavid and the Erie Otters in the last home game of the regular season on March 19.

The venue was packed with fans on-hand to see who several NHL general managers are calling the next Sidney Crosby. McDavid of the Otters is predicted by most NHL scouts to be drafted first overall later this year.

Fans of NHL teams with the best odds of drafting McDavid showed their appreciation for his talent by wearing professional league jerseys with “McDavid” written on the back. The NHL fans, who asked to keep their names anonymous said McDavid is a team’s only hope of winning a Stanley Cup in the near future.

McDavid,18, captain of Erie said the team consists of more than just him. With 43 goals in 46 games, McDavid said he wants to finish his OHL career on top.

With McDavid almost a for sure thing to go first overall the Otters also have Dylan Strome who is projected to be drafted in the top five. Strome scored his 40th goal of the season against the Spitfires March 19.

“If they want to pay special attention to me, we have guys like Strome who can break through just as easily … that’s the beauty of playing on a team like this,” said McDavid.

The Captain said he realizes it is a long road to the NHL and he understands a lot of things need to happen in perfect order.

“There are no easy paths to the NHL,” said McDavid. “There are a lot of expectations on me …if I’m fortunate enough to play there [NHL] next year it will be a huge honour.”

McDavid said Aaron Ekblad’s experience gives him a sense of hope that he will play in the NHL next season. Ekblad was drafted first overall last year and is now playing in the NHL at age 19.

The standings project who will receive the first overall pick and Buffalo, Arizona, Edmonton and Toronto have the best odds of receiving McDavid. He said with social media being such a big trend, he gets his updates from Twitter and other social media outlets.

Mcdavid had three assists in the game, giving him a total of 117 on the season.
Bob Jones, assistant coach of the Windsor Spitfires said he felt the team played well against a team like Erie.

“I thought we competed hard,” said Jones. “McDavid is an exceptional player and we are never going to stop his chances but we did a good job eliminating them.”

McDavid said what keeps his life balanced is the people who support him such as his teammates, friends and family.

The 2015 NHL Entry Draft will be held on June 26 and 27 at the BB&T Center in Florida.