Winning multiple Hart and Art Ross Trophies and setting multiple franchise records are benchmarks most players spend an entire career chasing and never hit. Connor McDavid accomplished those and has now reached another rare milestone well before his 30th birthday.
On Monday’s 9-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks, the Oilers captain became just the fourth player in NHL history to hit 100 assists in a season. He joined Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux as the only players ever to do so. McDavid’s 100-assist season is also the first since 1990-91, Wayne Gretzky’s 11th and final 100-assist campaign.
“It means a lot – those three obviously are three of the greatest players to ever play, and to share something with them, it means a lot to me,” McDavid told reporters after the game. “Obviously, just thankful for my teammates, the staff here in Edmonton, coaches and everybody.”
"Just thankful for my teammates, the staff here in Edmonton, the coaches & everybody."
Connor McDavid on being the fourth player in @NHL history to register a 100-assist season.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/xzLBNDMvAT
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 16, 2024
McDavid’s assist totals have climbed since 2019-20, so it felt like 100 helpers in one campaign could eventually be reached. He’s had more assists in each season since then, including 89 last year, and 2023-24 marks his fourth straight season of at least 70 assists.
While his goal production this season is down to 32 from last year’s 64, McDavid’s playmaking has him firmly in the Hart Trophy race. And his production has more than a few people in the Oilers dressing room in awe.
“When you see how many goals he scored last year and how many assists he has this year, you see the commitment behind everything now on this side of things,” new Oilers teammate Adam Henrique said earlier this week. “It’s pretty special to watch – it really is something special. It’s certainly very tough playing against him and defending him, and seeing what he does on a daily basis here has been pretty special to be a part of.”
McDavid’s former teammate and now San Jose Sharks forward, Klim Kostin, felt the same way.
“He’s a special player,” Kostin said on Monday. “I think he’s the best in the league, one of the best of all-time, and it’s really hard to stop him – it’s almost impossible.”
While McDavid’s the fourth player to hit the mark, as a player known for having more significant things to accomplish in mind, trying to be a 100-assist player was never a goal he particularly strived for.
“I had that weird stretch where I didn’t score any goals but had a bunch of assists, and that’s when I was made aware of it,” he said. “It’s not something you set out to do or whatever – it’s just a product of playing with some really good players, playing on a good team and putting in a lot of hard work.”
Whether McDavid had a milestone on his mind or not, his teammates would ensure he got his due.
Zach Hyman was the biggest beneficiary of McDavid’s season, as 35 of his 54 goals came with a McDavid assist. Hyman wanted McDavid to go first down the bench’s handshake line after assisting on Hyman’s goal, the ninth on Monday night.
“I don’t know if he was going or not, but I wanted to make sure he did,” Hyman said. “Even though it’s the ninth goal, it doesn’t matter. That’s just a historic moment. It’s a milestone that only three other guys have gotten to, and those three guys are Hall of Fame, once-in-a-lifetime players, so to be in that kind of company is pretty cool and special and doesn’t happen often. He deserved to have his moment there, regardless of what the score was.”
Hyman is one of 14 Oilers to score this year on an assist from McDavid. On a close-knit roster that has celebrated the milestones of other players, including when Hyman hit the 50-goal mark for the first time, it was no surprise to see the collective heap endless praise on their captain.
“He’s a guy who doesn’t celebrate every milestone he hits because he hits so many so this one was extra special and I think everyone was aware of it and you could see everyone really enjoy seeing him do it.”
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News Summary:
- 'One of the Best of All-Time': McDavid's 100-Assist Season Leaves Teammates in Awe
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