2015 Draft - 1st pick: Connor McDavid

[McAsuno]

Canadian hockey fans have a nasty habit of ganging up on star players. They love them, but the only thing they love as much is to hate them. If you believe everything you hear ...

In Vancouver, Luongo supposedly had attitude issues, his wife wanted out from Vancouver for years.

In Calgary, Dion Phaneuf apparently was the devil, got into a fist fight with Iginla, slept with the half team's wives, and then after that Iginla himself was a bad locker room influence, wouldn't back check, sabotaged Brent Sutter. Oh and Kiprusoff is apparently a raging coke fiend.

In Winnipeg ... Evander Kane, Dustin Byfuglien are the worst people ever born. In Montreal ... well it gets reeeeeal ugly when they turn on players (see Carey Price raising his arms at fans during a game), Roy-gate, etc. Toronto ... Nuff said.

I hate to say it but a lot of hockey fans in Canada also have that fish bowl/small town mentality. Too many think they could've been in the NHL too with a break here or there and are deep down a little bitter that they're making $11/hour instead of millions.

So it becomes that thing of "look at Taylor Hall over there enjoying his beer, smug ******* with his fancy imported beer, having a drink when he should be resting. Now he's talking to that cute girl and her friends are coming over too! The nerve of this guy, just because you're rich doesn't mean you should throw it my face! I wanted to talk to that girl! Shouldn't you be winning some hockey games?!".

NHL players have thousands upon thousands of interactions with fans in person, it's impossible that all those interactions are going to be positive, but fans think they should be because "if I made $6 million I'd be the perfect angel". No you wouldn't. Everyone has their weird run-ins with people that for whatever reason go awkwardly or badly even, it's just that if you're an NHL player, get ready for that "fan" to go running to the internet and make up a larger than life story about how you have an attitude problem.

Isn't it convenient too that none of these "outrageous" stories are ever about 4th line boring players. Weird coincidence that it's always about the team's 1/2/3 best players. It's never "Zack Stortini has an attitude problem".

Well said.

 

[RipsADrive]

A bit frustrating reading an argument where one side is basing their opinion on information the rest of us aren't privy to. Pretty tough to offer counter points when a player is being lambasted for an unknown incident.

I don't doubt that Hall has had some negative encounters with fans or even let his frustration spill out into the dressing room. What I am confident about is that Hall wants the Oilers to be winners more than anything else.

I see the living arrangement being beneficial for both parties. Hall offers the experience of being a hugely hyped first overall in Edmonton and the responsibility of being a mentor for a generational player should help keep Hall focused and driven in order to set the best possible example for McDavid.

 

[Joey Moss]

Oh I loved listening to TEAM 1040 in Vancouver In Vancouver right now and hearing Farhan Lalji just b**** and moan about the Oilers and how we didn't deserve McDavid lol.

I remember right after we won the lottery he was tweeting a lot about this..

 

[guymez]

Doesn't that also apply to his detractors as well?

Indeed it does.

Most of this information that people are getting about Hall's off ice character are getting that secondhand from somebody who knows somebody who knows somebody. I respect BBO as a poster and don't question his sources but Bryan is making a judgment of Hall (done a total 180) based on what somebody told him, not from his personal experience with Hall. Seems kind of disingenuous IMO.

I don't know if he's captain material as his on ice demeanor and overall game can use some maturing but I certainly have no problem with McDavid rooming with Hall. It's not like he's a criminal so I doubt any influence he would have on McDavid will be destructive.

In any event, we are entering into a very exciting era, something of which I and I'm sure most here haven't come close to experiencing as an Oiler fan (missed out on the dynasty years) so maybe we should focus on the excitement of the upcoming season (it's been a long enough wait) instead of talking about what a bad influence Hall might be on McDavid.
Penticton is only 4 days away. It's finally here. Time to channel The Power of Positivity.

Its not about Hall being a criminal...taking an extreme position doesnt make it any less of a poor decision.

I am not a Hall detractor at all...Just like everybody on this board (including Bryan) I have no idea what he is all about off the ice. While you dont want to paint all late teen and early 20's 'men' with the same brush the reality is that judgement tends to get much better with age and life experience.

Mentoring someone like McDavid properly is obviously too important to mess with IMO.

 

[CupofOil]

Indeed it does.

Its not about Hall being a criminal...taking an extreme position doesnt make it any less of a poor decision.

I am not a Hall detractor at all...Just like everybody on this board (including Bryan) I have no idea what he is all about off the ice. While you dont want to paint all late teen and early 20's 'men' with the same brush the reality is that judgement tends to get much better with age and life experience.

Mentoring someone like McDavid properly is obviously too important to mess with IMO.

You would hope to think that Hall has experienced enough by now to have matured somewhat at this point. This isn't a normal 23 year old. He, like McDavid, has been in the spotlight since early teens pretty much so he has had to deal with a lot of real life pressures for the better part of a decade now.

If anything, McDavid rooming with Hall should be beneficial because Hall could draw from his own experience in dealing with the pressures of being the #1 overall in a fishbowl market.

I just think this is getting too much attention. I don't think McDavid rooming with Ference would make me feel that much different than him rooming with Hall. It doesn't really matter that much. McDavid seems really mature for his age, I'm sure he can handle whatever is about to come.

 

[guymez]

You would hope to think that Hall has experienced enough by now to have matured somewhat at this point. This isn't a normal 23 year old. He, like McDavid, has been in the spotlight since early teens pretty much so he has had to deal with a lot of real life pressures for the better part of a decade now.

If anything, McDavid rooming with Hall should be beneficial because Hall could draw from his own experience in dealing with the pressures of being the #1 overall in a fishbowl market.

I just think this is getting too much attention. I don't think McDavid rooming with Ference would make me feel that much different than him rooming with Hall. It doesn't really matter that much. McDavid seems really mature for his age, I'm sure he can handle whatever is about to come.

I agree...Hall isnt a normal 23 year old. Hall is a 23 year old with millions of dollars.

I also disagree entirely with your take on roomates...rooming with a mature player like Ference is 100% different than rooming with Hall.

 

[soothsayer]

This whole "issue" is utter nonsense and, at the risk of sounding sanctimonious, I'm surprised the discussion has been aloud to carry on this long.

 

[oilz89*]

I am one of those people who think that maturity increases with age.
I dont care who the person is...a 23 year old generally makes more poor decisions than a 30 year old.

I understand that the Hall defenders will be out in full force justifying this decision...people who dont know the player or his personality but will act like they do.

The reality for me is that Conners situation is too important to be left up to the decision making of a 23 year old player who wasnt mentored effectively when he was a very young player.

Not a knock on Hall at all...just a recognition of the situation for what it is.

The only reason your saying all this is because Sidney lived with Mario when he came into the NHL.... A superstar star old veteran who's got everything figured out.

Well newsflash bro! We don't have a player like that. If Sid had come in to Pitts with no superstar, do you think he would've lived with an NHL veteran player like a Ference?

Besides, he wanted to stay with Hall. You think McDavid will like it if the team forces him out of there and tells him to room elsewhere?

 

[Del Preston]

This whole "issue" is utter nonsense and, at the risk of sounding sanctimonious, I'm surprised the discussion has been aloud to carry on this long.

Agreed.

 

[oilz89*]

I agree...Hall isnt a normal 23 year old. Hall is a 23 year old with millions of dollars.

I also disagree entirely with your take on roomates...rooming with a mature player like Ference is 100% different than rooming with Hall.

Ference is like Eakins disciple. Unless you want McDavid to workout every hour like Eakins likes to do, I'd keep him far away from him when it comes to living

 

[CupofOil]

I agree...Hall isnt a normal 23 year old. Hall is a 23 year old with millions of dollars.

I also disagree entirely with your take on roomates...rooming with a mature player like Ference is 100% different than rooming with Hall.

Maybe it would be different but would it be more beneficial to McDavid? Who knows?

In reality, this is a non-issue that has somehow turned into pages and pages of Hall is bad cop vs. Hall is good cop rabble rabble. None of us know what is good or not good for McDavid's living situation since none of us (or at least most of us) don't know any of these people personally.

 

[McPuritania]

Oh I loved listening to TEAM 1040 in Vancouver In Vancouver right now and hearing Farhan Lalji just b**** and moan about the Oilers and how we didn't deserve McDavid lol.

It's amazing how many people in the hockey world have been crying over it.

Dem tearz be tastee.

 

[Sweetpotato]

It will probably end up being Mcdavid rubbing off on Hall then the other way around.

This is how I see it.

Hall and McDavid are both winners, they play with their heart on their sleave and are elite in just about every aspect of the game. If McLellan goes to Hall and says "remember that time you said you wanted to be the best winger in the league at both ends of the league, I can do that for you if you buy in" he'll buy in because he knows it gets you wins. McDavid already gets what it takes to be great both their drives with create a situation where 2 players better themselves. No doubt in my mind Hall reaches Tavares/Stamkos level by next year.

 

[frag2]

It's amazing how many people in the hockey world have been crying over it.

Dem tearz be tastee.

To me, its not the "have been crying over it", its the fact they are STILL crying

 

[McPuritania]

To me, its not the "have been crying over it", its the fact they are STILL crying

Just wait till McAwesome scores dem goalz. There'll be some more world class fits thrown.

 

[Narnia]

Just wait till McAwesome scores dem goalz. There'll be some more world class fits thrown.

Don't forget both RNH and Yak had their first career hat tricks against the Canucks and Hall also has had a hat trick against the Canucks.

 

[Aerrol]

Canadian hockey fans have a nasty habit of ganging up on star players. They love them, but the only thing they love as much is to hate them. If you believe everything you hear ...

In Vancouver, Luongo supposedly had attitude issues, his wife wanted out from Vancouver for years.

In Calgary, Dion Phaneuf apparently was the devil, got into a fist fight with Iginla, slept with the half team's wives, and then after that Iginla himself was a bad locker room influence, wouldn't back check, sabotaged Brent Sutter. Oh and Kiprusoff is apparently a raging coke fiend.

In Winnipeg ... Evander Kane, Dustin Byfuglien are the worst people ever born. In Montreal ... well it gets reeeeeal ugly when they turn on players (see Carey Price raising his arms at fans during a game), Roy-gate, etc. Toronto ... Nuff said.

I hate to say it but a lot of hockey fans in Canada also have that fish bowl/small town mentality. Too many think they could've been in the NHL too with a break here or there and are deep down a little bitter that they're making $11/hour instead of millions.

So it becomes that thing of "look at Taylor Hall over there enjoying his beer, smug ******* with his fancy imported beer, having a drink when he should be resting. Now he's talking to that cute girl and her friends are coming over too! The nerve of this guy, just because you're rich doesn't mean you should throw it my face! I wanted to talk to that girl! Shouldn't you be winning some hockey games?!".

NHL players have thousands upon thousands of interactions with fans in person, it's impossible that all those interactions are going to be positive, but fans think they should be because "if I made $6 million I'd be the perfect angel". No you wouldn't. Everyone has their weird run-ins with people that for whatever reason go awkwardly or badly even, it's just that if you're an NHL player, get ready for that "fan" to go running to the internet and make up a larger than life story about how you have an attitude problem.

Isn't it convenient too that none of these "outrageous" stories are ever about 4th line boring players. Weird coincidence that it's always about the team's 1/2/3 best players. It's never "Zack Stortini has an attitude problem".

Can we get this stickied or something? This is a perfect response to the character issues complaints that come up every year around here. I might have to bookmark it just to quote it instead of re-writing an answer every year.

 

[Del Preston]

Canadian hockey fans have a nasty habit of ganging up on star players. They love them, but the only thing they love as much is to hate them. If you believe everything you hear ...

In Vancouver, Luongo supposedly had attitude issues, his wife wanted out from Vancouver for years.

In Calgary, Dion Phaneuf apparently was the devil, got into a fist fight with Iginla, slept with the half team's wives, and then after that Iginla himself was a bad locker room influence, wouldn't back check, sabotaged Brent Sutter. Oh and Kiprusoff is apparently a raging coke fiend.

In Winnipeg ... Evander Kane, Dustin Byfuglien are the worst people ever born. In Montreal ... well it gets reeeeeal ugly when they turn on players (see Carey Price raising his arms at fans during a game), Roy-gate, etc. Toronto ... Nuff said.

I hate to say it but a lot of hockey fans in Canada also have that fish bowl/small town mentality. Too many think they could've been in the NHL too with a break here or there and are deep down a little bitter that they're making $11/hour instead of millions.

So it becomes that thing of "look at Taylor Hall over there enjoying his beer, smug ******* with his fancy imported beer, having a drink when he should be resting. Now he's talking to that cute girl and her friends are coming over too! The nerve of this guy, just because you're rich doesn't mean you should throw it my face! I wanted to talk to that girl! Shouldn't you be winning some hockey games?!".

NHL players have thousands upon thousands of interactions with fans in person, it's impossible that all those interactions are going to be positive, but fans think they should be because "if I made $6 million I'd be the perfect angel". No you wouldn't. Everyone has their weird run-ins with people that for whatever reason go awkwardly or badly even, it's just that if you're an NHL player, get ready for that "fan" to go running to the internet and make up a larger than life story about how you have an attitude problem.

Isn't it convenient too that none of these "outrageous" stories are ever about 4th line boring players. Weird coincidence that it's always about the team's 1/2/3 best players. It's never "Zack Stortini has an attitude problem".

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

Canadian hockey fans have a nasty habit of ganging up on star players. They love them, but the only thing they love as much is to hate them. If you believe everything you hear ...

In Vancouver, Luongo supposedly had attitude issues, his wife wanted out from Vancouver for years.

In Calgary, Dion Phaneuf apparently was the devil, got into a fist fight with Iginla, slept with the half team's wives, and then after that Iginla himself was a bad locker room influence, wouldn't back check, sabotaged Brent Sutter. Oh and Kiprusoff is apparently a raging coke fiend.

In Winnipeg ... Evander Kane, Dustin Byfuglien are the worst people ever born. In Montreal ... well it gets reeeeeal ugly when they turn on players (see Carey Price raising his arms at fans during a game), Roy-gate, etc. Toronto ... Nuff said.

I hate to say it but a lot of hockey fans in Canada also have that fish bowl/small town mentality. Too many think they could've been in the NHL too with a break here or there and are deep down a little bitter that they're making $11/hour instead of millions.

So it becomes that thing of "look at Taylor Hall over there enjoying his beer, smug ******* with his fancy imported beer, having a drink when he should be resting. Now he's talking to that cute girl and her friends are coming over too! The nerve of this guy, just because you're rich doesn't mean you should throw it my face! I wanted to talk to that girl! Shouldn't you be winning some hockey games?!".

NHL players have thousands upon thousands of interactions with fans in person, it's impossible that all those interactions are going to be positive, but fans think they should be because "if I made $6 million I'd be the perfect angel". No you wouldn't. Everyone has their weird run-ins with people that for whatever reason go awkwardly or badly even, it's just that if you're an NHL player, get ready for that "fan" to go running to the internet and make up a larger than life story about how you have an attitude problem.

Isn't it convenient too that none of these "outrageous" stories are ever about 4th line boring players. Weird coincidence that it's always about the team's 1/2/3 best players. It's never "Zack Stortini has an attitude problem".

 

[Dempsey]

It's one thing to try to come up with different line combinations for this season, but worrying about personal living arrangements for these players? That's where I draw the line.

Honestly, I would love to see some of you sit down and have dinner with Taylor Hall and really get to meet him as a person..And then have someone come in and tell him all the personal character stuff you questioned about him here. I'm sure it would be pretty embarrassing, because this topic has just gotten silly.

This is almost as bad as when people got all worked up about whether Chiarelli should be allowed to have a vacation in August.

 

[DisgruntledGoat*]

I'm embarassed for anyone who derives some sense of self-importance by posting opinions of a stranger's character to an internet messageboard based on some sort of half-assed, amateurish concept of anonymous sourcing.

I really wish I hadn't wasted my time reading the last couple pages of this.

 

[s7ark]

I'm embarassed for anyone who derives some sense of self-importance by posting opinions of a stranger's character to an internet messageboard based on some sort of half-assed, amateurish concept of anonymous sourcing.

I really wish I hadn't wasted my time reading the last couple pages of this.

Agreed. This thread is very firmly off topic. I am going to close it. Anyone who wants to start a McDavid thread to discuss him please feel free.