Connor McDavid's "no stone unturned" approach to fast track injury recovery revealed by NHL insider

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Nov 07, 2024 03:35 GMT

Connor McDavid was expected to miss two to three weeks after getting injured on Oct. 28 during a 6-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, just 10 days later, he surprised fans and teammates by joining the Oilers' morning skate with linemates Zach Hyman and Jeff Skinner.

Focused and driven to play, McDavid said (via fieldlevelmedia.com):

“I feel good. Looking forward to going and getting back in there.”

McDavid’s quick recovery comes from his thorough approach to healing, exploring every possible way to speed up his return.

Jeff Jackson, the Oilers' president of hockey operations, shared that McDavid considers all available treatments. NHL insider Kevin Weekes mentioned that McDavid often uses a hyperbaric chamber to help with recovery

"He goes, 'He leaves no stone unturned. For any injury, he's looking at every modality available. He's innovative, he'll try anything, he'll do anything. He spends a lot of time in the hyperbaric chamber. He (Jackson) just said that he'll (McDavid) do any and everything to accelerate his recovery," Weekes said.

Connor McDavid’s willingness to try both regular and alternative treatments makes him stand out.

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Mike Rupp praises Connor McDavid’s unique approach to injury recovery and body care

Former NHL player Mike Rupp also praised Connor McDavid’s approach as he noted that players now have more treatment options than just surgery.

He explained that McDavid explores methods that target the injury itself rather than just managing pain. Rupp admired McDavid’s dedication to using every tool possible to get back on the ice and stay in top form.

"I go and see a guy and he's like, no, no, no. That we can ease the pain in your knees by doing acupuncture around your knee and taking care of tenons in your lower leg and things like this that you never would have imagined ...," Rupp said.

"Connor McDavid is going to push it all day long. He was back on the ice in no time. So I find this impressive. This guy impresses you every night in what he does physically, but taking care of his body is a whole new level that I haven't seen before," he added.

Last season, McDavid scored 132 points and led Edmonton to the Stanley Cup Final, where they narrowly lost to the Florida Panthers. His strong playoff performance earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy. With 992 career points, McDavid is close to hitting 1,000.

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