The long-anticipated regular season begins tonight for the Edmonton Oilers. Needless to say, expectations have perhaps never been higher, and the pressure is palpable. Despite this, leaders Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman displayed a resolute sense of calm and focus during interviews released on Monday and Tuesday.
McDavid Leads the Way
McDavid set the tone during his answer to questions about losing in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. A reporter begins to ask, “Is there anything from that feeling [of losing in Game 7]…,” before McDavid politely but staunchly interjects, “Enough about last year. Enough about last year.”
The reporter plows through McDavid’s dismissal to ask what they can take away from losing. McDavid pauses for six seconds before saying:
I don’t know. It’s about this year. We’ve talked a lot about last year. Lotta questions about it…I’ve answered all of them. But we’re moving on. It’s about this year. It’s about this group in here.
McDavid’s response communicates a sense of perspective and focus, inspiring his teammates. Again, when another reporter asked about his summer, he said with a chuckle and a smile, “Summer’s over.”
You can tell that this attitude permeates the locker room. Hyman took similar questions from reporters on Tuesday, and he delivered similar responses to McDavid’s.
You learn a lot from that experience. It’s something you live with, and you move on, and you get ready for another journey. You can either be hung up on what happened. You could be looking in the future like, ‘We’re gonna be back there.’ We did that last year, and it didn’t turn out well for us in the beginning. You just have to be present. That’s the message for the whole group.
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Draisaitl also turned the discussion away from last season after he was asked whether the team’s slow start and long postseason will force the team to “pace” themselves so they have enough in the tank come playoffs.
You don’t want to pace yourself through [the season]. Then you’re going to find yourself in the situations where we were last year, right? That’s too much work to catch up. We want to just start on time. We don’t need to put on a show on Wednesday. We need to play good hockey. We need to be compact. We need to play our type of way.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch testified to the team’s preparedness.
“Optimistic. Feel good about the team. I think highly of the guys that we brought in. And the guys that are remaining that were on this team last year are extremely dedicated, motivated to have a good season. And everyone’s just ready to get going.
Knoblauch of course is paid to evaluate his team, compare it to last season, and promote improvement. Even in his answer though you can sense a feeling of excitement and clarity about opening night. He is communicating to his players his confidence in the team, and you know that the players’ focus is contagious, bubbling up to the coaching staff. The players and head coach look united in their understanding of what happened last season and how to best leverage it for the next six months until playoffs.
Focus and Determination Are a Recipe for Success
The message is clear. Last season is over. Let it go. This season is what matters. As a team, they have learned and grown, and now they are ready to compete for the Stanley Cup. This determination should be music to Oilers fans’ ears as players up and down the lineup reiterate the same, concentrated focus—the precise combination needed to succeed.
