McDavid, NHL stars take center stage in ‘FACEOFF: Inside the NHL’

EDMONTON -- Connor McDavid is not one to put his personality on display. A self-described introvert, the Edmonton Oilers captain usually relies on his amazing hockey ability to represent him.

But that all changes in the final episode of “FACEOFF: Inside the NHL,” which premieres Friday exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. It is the latest addition to Prime membership.

Following a 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, McDavid unleashes an expletive-laced postgame outburst in the dressing room, calling out his teammates for an effort he deemed, “not good enough,” and orders them to, “dig in.”

It's a side of the NHL’s best player fans won’t see anywhere else.

“Do I yell and scream every night? No,” McDavid told NHL.com. “Do I pick my spots when my voice is important? Yes. And I thought Game 2 in a Stanley Cup Final, in a game where it was a really big game and we didn’t play our best, I thought that was an important time.”

It may be the most stunning highlight of the six-part series that was produced by Box To Box Films and NHL Productions, but certainly not the only moment that will have fans compelled.

The series begins by going deep into the friendship of Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander and Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak while their teams battle in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

McDavid’s teammates Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman, Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg, Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel, Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes, New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba, Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog and Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk are also star players in the six-episode drama that concludes with the Stanley Cup Final.

“It’s lots of fun watching other shows," Nylander said. "Growing up watching hockey documentaries they had following the NHL, I always wanted to see guys away from the rink, so I think that was one of my reasons I wanted to do it, because it’s fun to show that part of hockey."

“FACEOFF: Inside the NHL” takes fans into the locker room, the living room and everywhere the players go during the course of the 2023-24 season.

“I think that’s the hope, to bring fans into the room and show them what some of the real emotions are like,” McDavid said. “It’s difficult to stand in front of 25 media guys and bring that same level of emotion. Sometimes what they see in those media scrums is what they get and I think the show really brings the fans into the room and those really raw, intense moments, and that’s something they’ll enjoy.”

Other highlights include the Tkachuk family enjoying a day off in Florida, Nylander and Pastrnak discussing the upcoming playoff series over lunch, and Forsberg fighting an ankle injury during the playoffs while he and his wife are expecting the birth of their child.

“I think you’re going to see hockey players and you’re going to see the human side of it, obviously,” McDavid said. “You’re going to see joy on one side and you’re going to see heartbreak on one side as well. You’re going to see guys put in lots of time, lots of work away from the rink, and I think you’ll see that through all the players they cover, and hopefully it’s worth it. It’s not the easiest thing to let media in, in some of those moments.”

Hyman said the purpose of the show is for fans to get a glimpse of the players as they really are.

“That’s the reason the show is there, you got a sneak peak,” Hyman said. “To us it’s normal. I think he’s a phenomenal leader, wears his heart on his sleeve. To [the media] he’s quieter and more guarded, but to us he’s Connor. He is who he is. He’s a great player, the best in the world and a phenomenal leader, and takes onus when we’re playing poorly, takes a lot of it on himself and tries to elevate everybody’s game.”

Though the Oilers didn’t immediately respond to McDavid, losing Game 3 of the Cup Final, they won the next three games to force a Game 7, which ended with the Panthers hoisting the Cup and McDavid and the Oilers in tears.

“Obviously it’s tough, it’s emotional, we were all feeling the same,” Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said, shown consoling his captain. “Obviously with Connor, you just want to be there for each other, even though we are all going through it as well. It’s tough to see one of your close friends, your brother, feeling a certain way, and if I was in that position he would have done the same for me.”

Steve Mayer, NHL senior executive vice president and chief content officer, said the series transcends hockey.

“This is not a show for hockey fans, although they’re going to love it, but it’s meant to be a show for sports fans who get an introduction to hockey through our players and some great storytelling," Mayer said. "There’s some really good stuff, things that even [the media] have never seen before.

“The players let us into their lives, and they were all in.”