Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid suited up for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, which ran through Feb. 20 at TD Garden in Boston and Bell Centre in Montreal.
Related: Guide to the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off
It was McDavid’s first time representing his country since the 2018 World Championship, and he hoped to continue the great tradition of Edmonton’s NHL stars playing for Team Canada.
Going back more than 40 years, Oilers players have been instrumental in many great triumphs for Hockey Canada on the international stage. Here are five of them:
5. Ryan Smyth, 2002 Olympics
Even though Ryan Smyth never had a singularly spectacular performance while representing his country, this list wouldn’t be complete without including the man who wore the maple leaf so often that he earned the nickname “Captain Canada”.
The biggest international triumph that Smyth was part of came at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, where Canada won Olympic gold in men’s hockey for the first time since 1952.
Smyth was limited to one point in six games at the 2002 Olympics, but just being in Utah was a mammoth accomplishment for the Oilers forward. Less than three months before the Winter Games, he suffered a broken ankle in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks but made an inspiring comeback to realize his Olympic dream.
4. Taylor Hall, 2015 World Championship
Team Canada arrived at the 2015 World Championship in Czechia having gone six years without a medal, its longest such drought in nearly four decades.
That slump finally came to an end when Oilers winger Taylor Hall scored the game-winning goal as Canada defeated the hosts in the semi-final round, assuring itself of a medal. One day later, Canada pummelled Russia 6-1 in the final to capture gold.
In 10 games at the 2015 World Championship, Hall scored seven goals and added five assists, tying for third among all players with 12 points. The Calgary product was one of three forwards selected as a Media All-Star at the conclusion of competition.
3. Paul Coffey, 1984 Canada Cup
Paul Coffey scored the championship-winning goal for his country at the 1984 Canada Cup, in Game 2 of the best-of-three final against Sweden, but that was far from an iconic moment, as it came early in the second period and put Canada ahead by five goals at the time. Instead, what the Oilers blueliner is actually best remembered for in 1984 is his heroics during overtime of the semi-final against the Soviet Union.
About 12 minutes into sudden death, Russia’s Vladimir Kovin and Mikhail Varnakov broke in two-on-one with Coffey as the lone Canadian back. The host nation looked doomed, but Coffey made a diving play to intercept the puck, then jumped to his feet and carried it up ice across the Russian blue line. After about 20 seconds of sustained Canadian pressure, Coffey fired a point shot that Mike Bossy deflected past Soviet netminder Vladimir Myshkin to lift Canada to a 3-2 victory.
Coffey finished the 1984 Canada Cup tied for second among all players with 11 points and was one of two defencemen named to the all-tournament team.
2. Bill Ranford, 1994 World Championship
Canada ended a 33-year gold medal drought at the 1994 World Championship in Italy, thanks largely to Bill Ranford, who was named Best Goaltender of the Tournament and selected to the Media All-Star Team.
Appearing in six games for Team Canada, the Oilers goaltender had a record of 6-0, while registering a 1.17 goals-against average. Ranford also posted an incredible save percentage of .956, but his biggest stops don’t even factor into those stats; those came in the championship final, when Canada and Finland went to a shootout after overtime ended with the teams deadlocked at one goal apiece.
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Ranford was beaten just twice on Finland’s six shootout attempts, making the championship-clinching save on Finnish forward Mika Nieminen. The image of Ranford jumping for joy after making the save, before being mobbed by his teammates is one of the most indelible in Canadian hockey history.
1. Wayne Gretzky, 1987 Canada Cup
One of hockey’s most famous goals came with 86 seconds remaining in Game 3 of the 1987 Canada Cup Final between Canada and the Soviet Union.
With the best-of-three series tied 1-1 and the game knotted at five goals apiece, Canadian forwards Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux broke out on a two-on-one; Gretzky slid the puck to Lemieux, who fired it over the glove of goaltender Sergei Mylnikov, sending Hamilton’s Copps Coliseum into a state of euphoria. Just over a minute later, Canada was celebrating victory over its archrivals.
That assist, perhaps the best-known of Gretzky’s career, was one of a record 18 apples he dished out over nine games at the 1987 Canada Cup. The Oilers captain finished with a tournament-leading 21 points and was named MVP.
Will McDavid join this list by the conclusion of the 4 Nations Face-Off? He started the tournament by picking up an assist on Wednesday (Feb. 12) in Canada’s exhilarating 4-3 overtime victory against Sweden. Edmonton’s captain and his Canadian teammates will be back in action when they take on Team USA at Bell Centre on Saturday (Feb. 15).
