Leon Draisaitl makes his feelings known about his involvement in Connor McDavid's 1000 points NHL milestone

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Nov 15, 2024 05:52 GMT

Leon Draisaitl reacted after his teammate Connor McDavid registered his 1,000th NHL point in his 659th game on Thursday, becoming the fourth-fastest player to do so, after Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Mike Bossy.

McDavid’s milestone includes 341 goals and 659 assists. His 1,000th point came against the Nashville Predators, with an assist from Draisaitl for a game-tying goal, as the Edmonton Oilers won 3-2.

Leon Draisaitl - who had two assists in the win - has always been a key partner for McDavid on the ice. However, he shifted the attention away from himself as his good friend joined an exclusive club of NHL players.

When Edmonton reporter Gene Principe asked Draisaitl about being a part of McDavid's landmakr goal, considering how closely their careers are linked, Draisaitl responded modestly, saying that he's happy for McDavid.

“You get just as excited for anyone that's involved. You're just excited for him. This is his accomplishment, not mine or anyone else's. That's him. And I think we're all just really happy and proud of him.,” he said.

Reflecting on their time together, Leon Draisaitl shared how his bond with Connor McDavid has grown over the years. He also explained that their friendship goes beyond hockey.

"It's been a long time. (We) grew up together. We were little boys, seemingly, and, grew up together (through) lots of ups and downs, and (we have) built a greater relationship, friendship off the ice, and obviously (that) translates on the ice. So very, very lucky and fortunate to call my good friend."

For Draisaitl, the moment was about celebrating Connor McDavid’s achievement, not his role in the assist.

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How Connor McDavid's Edmonton Oilers beat the Predators

Connor McDavid played a key role as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 in overtime. McDavid scored one goal and added an assist, making key plays in the Oilers' comeback.

Nashville opened the scoring through Michael McCarron at 8:22, assisted by Roman Josi, heading into the first intermission. Edmonton, though, responded quickly in the second period.

Two minutes in, McDavid scored his sixth goal of the season with a snap shot, with Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse assisting the strike. Three minutes later, Nurse scored his first goal of the season, assisted by Brett Kulak and Mattias Janmark, to put Edmonton 2-1 ahead.

In the third period, Nashville tied the game. At 17:12, Cole Smith scored with a wrist shot, assisted by Zach L'Heureux and Jeremy Lauzon to force overtime, where Nurse scored his second of the game at 2:33, with McDavid and Draisaitl assisting.

The Oilers outshot the Predators 34-23 and now lead the season series against Nashville 3-0.