RELEASE: McDavid named NHL's First Star of the Week

EDMONTON, AB - Oilers captain Connor McDavid and Alberta Health Services program manager Aleem Rajani have been named the NHL's First Stars for the week ending May 9.
Throughout the 2020-21 season, the NHL is celebrating the remarkable efforts of the off-ice stars who make it possible for the League to play games amid a pandemic by honouring frontline healthcare heroes from the regions represented by the weekly and monthly stars.
Rajani, an occupational therapist, works as a program manager with the AHS primary care and colorectal cancer screening program. He has been instrumental to the AHS Edmonton zone COVID-19 pandemic response over the past year, helping to set up the first coronavirus swabbing center as well as the largest assessment facility in the city, a pandemic response unit, and a rapid-flow vaccine center.
A leader for many aspects of the frontline response to COVID-19 in the Edmonton area, Rajani's motto of "be excellent" has been an inspiration to the redeployed staff working in assessment and vaccination facilities across the city.
McDavid led the NHL with three goals and 10 assists in four games (all against the Vancouver Canucks) to reach the 100-point milestone and power the Oilers (33-18-2, 68 points) to a berth in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He hit the 30-goal plateau for the fifth consecutive season on the strength of his sixth four-point performance of 2020-21, in a 5-3 victory May 3.
McDavid compiled five assists over his next two outings, picking up two helpers in a 4-1 triumph May 4 and assists on all three Edmonton goals in a 6-3 loss May 6. He again factored on all of the Oilers goals in a 4-3 win May 8, capping the week with a goal and three assists to reach the 100-point milestone for the fourth time in his career with 32 goals and 68 assists.
In doing so, McDavid became the ninth player in League history - and first since 1995-96 (Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr) - to hit the century mark in 53 or fewer games within a single season.
The 24-year-old Richmond Hill, Ontario, native and two-time Art Ross Trophy winner holds a 21-point lead in the 2020-21 scoring race, topping the NHL in points (100), assists (68), power-play points (35), power-play assists (26) and points per game (1.89) this season.
Rounding out the Three Stars of the week are Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov and Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.