When Connor McDavid's parents lied about Oilers star's age to play minor hockey

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Jul 11, 2023 19:47 GMT

Connor McDavid, the formidable captain of the Edmonton Oilers and the current face of the NHL, has undeniably risen to the pinnacle of hockey success at just 26 years old. However, beneath his remarkable achievements lies an intriguing tale of determination and ambition.

McDavid confessed in a past interview:

"I was four when my parents signed me up for house league in Newmarket. They lied about my age so I could play a year early,"

The impatience to join the sport he was so passionate about drove his parents to bend the rules. Despite missing the age cutoff by a mere 13 days, McDavid's determination to play prevailed.

Kelly McDavid, Connor's mother, recalls the early struggles and the decision to bend the rules:

"He was quite insistent, and it was a bit frustrating because he missed the cutoff by 13 days. We told him, 'If they ask for your birth certificate, we'll have to tell them,' but they never did."

The McDavid family took the bold step of allowing their son to pursue his dreams by misrepresenting his age.

As Connor McDavid's talent blossomed, it became apparent that playing with his actual age group would not be enough to challenge his skills. Kelly recounts the experience:

"Two years later, he went to tryouts for the select team. He was probably the best player out there, so we had to call the Newmarket minor hockey association and tell them, 'Look, he's not seven, he's six. But they skip kids in school if they're smart. Can't we do the same thing here?' They were adamant: no. But what could we do? He was skating circles around the other kids."

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Connor McDavid's remarkable journey to pursue his Hockey dreams

Thus, Connor McDavid found himself playing alongside nine-year-olds when he was just six. The age gap posed challenges and added pressure on the young prodigy. Kelly shares a glimpse into those early days:

"That was kinda rough, if they were losing a game, they'd look down the bench like, 'C'mon, Connor, go out and score for us'. It was a lot of pressure, so finally, I sat him down and said, 'What do you want from this?' He said, I want to play rep hockey.'"

Now, AAA accepted younger players, and with 10 weeks until the deadline, Kelly devised a plan. She made a staircase out of paper, with each step representing a game. It provided Connor with a goal to look forward to. Kelly recognized her son's maturity even back then, stating:

"He was an old soul, so even back then I could always reason with him."

Connor McDavid's journey reflects the lengths he was willing to go to pursue his dreams and establish his place among the greats of the game.