Drew Doughty makes stunning Connor McDavid admission

Feb 19, 2026 (5:17 PM)

Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Connor McDavid has Team Canada leaning on him, and you can feel the urgency in every shift.

Sam Bennett basically said the quiet part out loud, McDavid wants this bad.

It is not just highlight-reel stuff, it is the pace between the puck touches.

When elite players start talking like fans, you listen.

Bennett called it “another level,” and that tracks with what we are seeing right now.

"You can see how important this is to him, how much he wants it. He's giving everything he's got ... He's on another level right now".

- Sam Bennett

-

Drew Doughty went even further in his TSN chat.

"I can't say enough about that guy. I've never seen anything like it."

- Drew Doughty

That is a defenseman who has played against every kind of superstar, sounding stunned.

Oilers fans are probably nodding right now, because this is the version we beg for when games get tight.

McDavid’s 2025-26 line with Edmonton sits at 34-62-96, and it is not empty calories.

That same directness shows up internationally, attack the middle, force coverage to collapse, then punish seams.

When Canada’s man advantage looks “simple,” it is usually because McDavid just solved it in real time.

The scary part is how it drags everyone else into the fight, even the passengers.

He is playing like the tournament is personal, and teammates are feeding off it.

Now the next game becomes the test, can opponents actually slow him without taking penalties and giving him more runway.

Previously on HockeyLatest

POLL
FEVRIER 19\|407 ANSWERS Drew Doughty makes stunning Connor McDavid admission Should Connor McDavid be Team Canada’s unquestioned top option right now?
Yes	377	92.6 %
No	30	7.4 %
List of polls