On Tuesday (Dec. 31) when the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Utah Hockey Club at Rogers Place, Oilers forwards Connor McDavid and Connor Brown played on the same line for the first time this season, and the results were great.
Related: 5 Takeaways From Oilers’ New Year’s Eve Victory Over Utah
McDavid and Brown each had two assists and finished the game with a plus-2 rating as Edmonton defeated Utah 4-1 on New Year’s Eve. The two Connors combined to set up the game-winning goal from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins early in the second period. Brown was named the game’s first star.
Before Tuesday, Brown had spent pretty much all this season playing in Edmonton’s bottom six. The decision by Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch to put Brown on the top line alongside the greatest player on the planet was likely twofold: to shake things up in the wake of their lacklustre performance against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday (Dec. 29); to reward Brown for his outstanding efforts of late.
Brown Elevates His Game
Brown has been playing his best hockey since joining the Oilers during the 2023 offseason, when he signed a one-year contract worth $4 million. Over the last nine games, the veteran forward has racked up three goals, seven assists, and a rating of plus-6. For the season, Brown has six goals and 12 assists in 37 games. He ranks fourth on the team with 16 even-strength points.
This current level of productivity from Brown was difficult less than 10 months ago, when he went 55 games before scoring his first goal of the 2023-24 season. Things got so bad for Brown that he was made a healthy scratch for multiple games, while fans speculated on ways Edmonton could dump his contract.
Brown eventually turned things around, scoring four times before the end of the 2023-24 season. He provided some valuable contributions during Edmonton’s postseason run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, including a monumental short-handed goal in Game 5 of the championship series against the Florida Panthers.
On July 1, Brown re-signed with the Oilers to a one-year contract worth $1 million, which is quickly turning out to be one of the great bargains for Edmonton in recent memory. And now the latest chapter in the 30-year-old’s career renaissance sees him reuniting with an old friend.
Brown and McDavid Were Junior Linemates
A dozen years ago, Brown and McDavid played together for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with Knoblauch as their head coach. They spent 2012-13 and 2013-14 as linemates, totalling 126 goals and 236 assists between them over those two seasons.
Brown, who is almost exactly three years older than McDavid (Brown was born on Jan. 14, McDavid’s birthday is Jan. 13), served as captain of the Otters before beginning his pro career with the Toronto Marlies, American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, in 2014-15. One year later, McDavid, who proceeded Brown as the Otters’ captain, was selected first overall by Edmonton in the 2015 NHL Draft.
While the connection between McDavid and Brown was surely a factor in the latter signing with the Oilers, the former junior linemates have rarely played together over Brown’s season and a half in Edmonton. Last season, they were on the ice at the same time for 67 minutes and 58 seconds, which was just over four percent of McDavid’s total ice time. Before Tuesday, they had been on the ice at the same time for only 27:54 of Edmonton’s first 36 games this season.
Brown Enjoys Chance to Play With McDavid
When he talked to the media following Edmonton’s victory over Utah, Brown was asked about the opportunity to play with McDavid again.
“It was a lot of fun. I thought we made some good plays, we hunted the puck. Obviously it’s nice to get some results and a couple that go in,” Brown said. “It’s just a lot of fun any time you can get out there with him, he creates a lot of room, so it was enjoyable.”
Knoblauch isn’t shy about mixing up his lines, so the Connors’ reunion may only be fleeting, but it looks like it will last for at least one more game. McDavid and Brown were skating together along with Nugent-Hopkins at practice on Thursday (Jan. 2) as Edmonton prepares to host the Anaheim Ducks tonight (Jan. 3).
