EDMONTON, AB – While his teammates cleared out following practice at Rogers Place, Oilers captain Connor McDavid stayed back, spending nearly 80 minutes on the ice Wednesday trying to stay sharp – even taking some extra reps on the blueline.
“There might be some defencemen who are worried they’ll lose a job with him back there, but I think it'll probably just be a temporary thing,” joked Head Coach Kris Knoblauch.
After the dressing room had already been cleared, McDavid spoke to the media for the first time since being handed his three-game suspension by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety on Monday – punishment for cross-checking Canucks winger Conor Garland up high late in regulation during Edmonton’s 3-2 defeat in Vancouver this past weekend.
Just like he is with his teammates, McDavid isn’t one to just disappear – especially when there are six games to play when he returns from his suspension before he takes on a starring role at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.
Suspension or not, there’s still work to be done, and McDavid wants to make sure he’s ready to hit the ground running when it’s time for him to return this coming Monday at Rogers Place against the Seattle Kraken.
“I love to play. What am I going to do? I'd rather be on the ice than sitting at home resting,” McDavid said. “It's not like I can get a week away in Cabo, so I'm here.”
“I want to support the team. I want to be here for the team. I want to be here to get myself ready to roll when it’s time. I’ll have six games before the break, and we want to go into the break on a high note. I always feel that's important. How you go into a break is important, and that's my main focus here.”