NHL
Wayne Gretzky Has Officially Ceded a Place In Oilers History to Connor McDavid
Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sports7 in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sports7, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he's a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie. Growing up loving Shaquille O'Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he's continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives. As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He's barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe's big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level. Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.
All posts by Joe KozlowskiUpdated02 Mar 2023
In the world of sports, there are certain players who dominate the landscape. Within hockey, for example, it's virtually impossible to escape the shadow of Wayne Gretzky. No matter what you do or how good you may believe you are, the Great One was usually better. Connor McDavid, however, recently encountered an exception to that rule.
While the current Edmonton Oilers star is no stranger to being compared to Gretzky, he officially surpassed the living legend in one category on Wednesday night. Let's take a look at that record and contextualize it within NHL history.
Connor McDavid has a longer multi-goal game streak than Wayne Gretzky ever did
When you consider his incredible scoring record — not to mention the offensive realities of the era in which he played — it's easy to imagine Wayne Gretzky piling up multiple goals every time he stepped on the ice. That, however, wasn't the case.
On Wednesday, March 1, Connor McDavid and the current Oilers hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Western Conference club jumped out to an early lead and cruised to a 5-2 victory; unsurprisingly, their biggest star figured prominently on the scoresheet.
McDavid finished the evening with two goals and one assist, but the former stat is the one that matters. He entered the contest with four-straight multi-goal games, which was tied with the Great One for the highest mark in Edmonton history.
With his two points against Toronto, McDavid has officially surpassed No. 99 in the Oilers' record book. The Ontario native also put himself in rarified NHL air. He's only the fifth player in NHL history to record a five-game multi-goal streak. Alexander Mogilny and Mario Lemieux both reached the five-game mark, while Punch Broadbent and Joe Malone hold the all-time record with a six-game streak.
That's a fitting milestone during McDavid's impressive 2022-23 season
Any time you surpass Wayne Gretzky in NHL history, it's a major feather in your cap. And while Connor McDavid has already earned plenty of plaudits, it is fitting that he one-upped the Great One during the current campaign.
Ever since he burst onto the scene as a junior hockey player with exceptional status, McDavid has had no problem making headlines. He owns a boatload of Ontario Hockey League awards and, in the professional ranks, just kept rolling. He's broken the 100-point plateau in six separate NHL seasons (including the current one) and has earned multiple Art Ross Trophies, Ted Lindsay Awards, and Hart Trophies.
And while the 2022-23 season is in progress, meaning he hasn't officially added any more honors to that list, this is shaping up as the most successful season of McDavid's career. The forward has recorded 115 points (50 goals and 65 assists) through 61 games; that puts him comfortably on pace to break his own high-water mark of 123 points. On a team level, the Oilers are currently in a playoff spot. While it's unlikely they'll enter the postseason in the strongest position, anything can happen when the Stanley Cup is on the line.
Are there greater glories ahead in Connor McDavid's career? Almost assuredly. At the same time, though, it's fitting that he surpassed Wayne Gretzky (at least in one metric) during his best individual season to date.
