"He's broken Wayne Gretzky's record" - NHL commissioner Gary Bettman impressed with Connor McDavid's Stanley Cup Finals run

By Cole Shelton

Modified Jun 24, 2024 18:21 GMT

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has high praise on Edmonton Oilers superstar forward Connor McDavid ahead of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. McDavid is arguably the best player in the NHL and has helped Edmonton come back from being down 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final to force Game 7.

During the Oilers' run to the Stanley Cup Final, McDavid set the NHL record for most assists in a single playoff run. He also became the first player in NHL history to have back-to-back 4+ point games in the Stanley Cup Final.

Ahead of Game 7, Bettman showered McDavid with praise.

"I mean, he is a bonafide superstar. Most prognosticators, fans, critics, and coverers of the sport think he's the best hockey player on the face of the earth, and he may well be. I believe he's leading the playoffs in scoring, he's broken Wayne Gretzky's record for assists in the playoffs, he has truly been remarkable, particularly in the last three games, which is why tonight is intriguing and unpredictable," Bettman said on First Take on June 24.

"I think the build-up for the excitement is justified and giving practically the US audience an opportunity to see Connor McDavid this intensely is great for the sport because he plays in Edmonton, and playing there he doesn't get as much exposure in the US as he does in Canada," Bettman added.

There's no question McDavid is one of the all-time greats and will be a future Hall of Famer. But, to cement his legacy, McDavid will need to win a Stanley Cup which he can accomplish on Monday night.

The Oilers enter Game 7 as slight -108 underdogs while the Florida Panthers are -112 favorites to win the Stanley Cup in Game 7.

Oilers are confident going into Game 7

The Edmonton Oilers have a chance to win the Stanley Cup on Monday night in Florida.

The Oilers lost the first three games of the series, and many expected the Panthers to close out the series in four or five games. But, Edmonton has since rallied to win three straight to force Game 7.

Heading into Game 7, Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch says the team isn't changing their approach and is confident heading into Game 7.

“I don’t think our approach has changed at all,” Knoblauch said Monday morning. “Ten days ago, we talked about when we were down three games to zero about one day at a time, enjoy the process. We’re enjoying the process, we’re enjoying where we are right now, we have a confident group and we’re just going to play this game like any other one.”

Game 7 is set to take place on June 24 at 8 p.m. EDT.