GENE'S BLOG: Connor vs. Connor

I'm like every fan of every team but with a twist. When the Edmonton Oilers schedule comes out, I look it up and down to pick out games that are more important or meaningful. Normally, I'll look at my kids' birthdays to see if Edmonton is playing that day, and even worse whether they're on the road. I'll also check out the schedule before and after the holiday break.

When my kids were young, especially, I would look at where I would be on Halloween. I would always search over the schedule for matchups against Canadian teams, or the reigning Stanley Cup champions, and I also kept elite teams or players like Pittsburgh (Crosby), Washington (Ovechkin) and Colorado (MacKinnon) at top of mind.

Add another one to the list in Chicago and Connor Bedard. It's such an added delight that he's also named Connor and was a first-overall pick and won a gold medal at the World Juniors, and whose every move has been followed since he was a teenager or even younger. It's only been eight years since the first generational Connor was drafted, compared to the most recent generational Connor to arrive on the hockey scene.

One has proven he was worthy of that 'generational' label and the other one is in the process of doing the same. It's early, but you can't argue with what the younger Connor has done to start his National Hockey League career. He's tallied 11 goals and 10 assists in 26 games. At this pace, he would finish at 35 and 32 for 67 points.

As a quick reminder, McDavid's rookie season wrapped up with 16 goals and 32 assists for 48 points in only 45 games after he missed significant time with his collarbone injury. If you prorated that over a full season, his numbers would have been 29-58--87, which would have likely won him the Calder Trophy over Artemi Panarin's 77-point campaign.

The two know each other from their time spent skating together in the summer. In fact, over the last couple of summers, many NHLers have gathered in Toronto for off-season training, and sneaking in (or maybe, better put, being invited) to skate alongside a large group of grown-ups who play hockey for a living was Bedard.

McDavid remembers first meeting his namesake, and last week he spent a good amount of time talking about the other Connor to many of us in the build-up to Tuesday night's matchup. He recounted a story of how Bedard was on a two-on-one with Sidney Crosby. The Crosby who has won three Stanley Cup titles, two Hart, Conn Smythe and Art Ross trophies, and a pair of Olympic gold medals.

McDavid said the young phenom looked off the older phenom and shot. The Oilers captain was asked whether he would have done that. He laughed and said he would have passed the puck to Crosby.

You know the old saying about walking a mile in someone's shoes? Well, in this instance it's skates not shoes and McDavid understands better than anyone what Bedard goes through living and breathing the game in a hockey-mad city.

McDavid told us he has spoken to the young Hawk about dealing with off-ice elements and pressure, but he stopped himself from suggesting what Bedard should or shouldn't do when he's on the ice. It's the humble nature of Edmonton's captain to not over-value his opinion.

When Captain Connor was asked if seeing a younger version of himself arrive on the scene made him feel old, he said not at all and that he still has some good years in front of him. I don't think anyone would disagree.

I remember the hype that surrounded the first meeting between McDavid and Crosby. The matchup on Tuesday at Rogers Place will rival that in the first showdown of Connor vs. Connor.