McDavid finally on biggest stage of his career at Stanley Cup Final with Oilers

SUNRISE, Fla. -- This is it. This is the moment for which he has worked, the moment for which he has waited.

Connor McDavid wants to seize it.

When the Edmonton Oilers center arrived for Stanley Cup Final Media Day on Friday, he was greeted by a horde of reporters, some of whom had been jockeying for position for almost an hour.

Someone asked a question before he even had the chance to sit down at a microphone.

“Just excited,” he said. “Excited to get the madness all over with. Today’s a busy day for everybody, but once it’s over with, it’s just going to be hockey.”

Game 1 against the Florida Panthers is at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS, CBC).

In a sense, it has felt like forever for McDavid to get here. In another, it has felt like blur.

It was in this building, then called BB&T Center, where Edmonton selected McDavid with the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft on June 26, 2015. He was 18 years old then, a fresh-faced kid, the next great superstar.

He’s 27 now, the face of the League with a bushy red playoff beard.

“I think looking back, it goes by so fast, honestly,” he said. “It feels like it was yesterday that that night was happening, and here we are nine years later.”

McDavid has done so much individually in the NHL.

Five times, he has won the Art Ross Trophy as the scoring champion. Four times, he has won the Lindsay Award, voted the most outstanding player by the NHL Players’ Association. Three times, he has won the Hart Trophy, voted the most valuable player by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Once, he has won the Richard Trophy as the goal-scoring champion.

Since his rookie season of 2015-16, he leads the NHL with 982 points (335 goals, 647 assists) in the regular season -- 141 more than anyone else. He ranks second with 106 points (34 goals, 72 assists) in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and he has played 67 games, 52 fewer than the one player with more, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov, who has 144 points (42 goals, 102 assists).

McDavid (1.58) is third in points per game among players who have appeared in at least eight playoff games, behind Wayne Gretzky (1.84) and Mario Lemieux (1.61).

But he has never had the chance to play for the Cup.

“Growing up, I just remember how exciting it was,” he said. “I think any time you would see the Stanley Cup on TV, it was always a special thing. I used to love watching, obviously. As I’ve been in the League, I think I’ve watched less of the Final. I mean, I would still watch here and there, but when you’re in the League and you’re as competitive as everyone is, it’s not always easy to see the Cup passed around.”

Finally, McDavid has a chance to show what he can do on the big stage against a top opponent. He leads the playoffs with 31 points (five goals, 26 assists) and has a shot at breaking Gretzky’s record for assists (31) in a playoff year set with the Oilers in 1988. Panthers center Aleksander Barkov won the Selke Trophy this season when the PHWA voted him the NHL’s best defensive forward for the second time.

“He’s a great player -- great player,” McDavid said. “He’s a full 200-foot player. He’s great in the offensive zone. Obviously, defensively he’s as good as it gets. It’s going to be a great challenge, and I’m excited about it.”

McDavid embraced Media Day, because it comes with going to the Cup Final. For about 10 minutes, he answered questions, some serious, some humorous. He wore his game face. He also smiled and laughed.

“I love sports,” he said. “I love hockey. I’ve seen lots of these days and always wanted to be a part of one, so it’s special to be here right now.”

The bright spotlight means he is one step closer to his childhood dream.

“What’s Hollywood about me?” he said. “Not much. Not much at all. Just a normal Canadian kid.”

Behind him was a black backdrop with Cup Final logos. Around the room hung pictures of captains hoisting the Cup -- Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos, Rod Brind'Amour, Mark Messier, Jonathan Toews, Dustin Brown.

The Cup itself sat on an NHL Network set a few feet away.

“It’s been a great journey,” he said. “from being that young kid to being in this position now.”