Panthers' Brad Marchand Praises Oilers Star Ahead of Stanley Cup

Brad Marchand is not one to mince words. He is also not the type to dish out compliments unless he believes in what he is saying.

The Florida Panthers forward spoke glowingly at the Stanley Cup Final media day about his former teammate in the 4 Nations Face Off, Connor McDavid.

“You’re not going to contain him. When you get to watch a player like that up close and see the little things that he does that make him so special," Marchand said. "It was incredible to see…his work ethic and the way he competes and his determination. Yeah, he's the best player in the world, for a reason.”

The two won the tournament together for Canada, defeating the United States in the final game. Marchand said McDavid is a once in a generation type of player.

Marchand and McDavid will be on opposite teams Wednesday night as the Panthers take on McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

McDavid still has a bad taste in his mouth from the Game 7 loss to the Panthers at the end of last season. He is looking forward to redemption.

"It's different in the sense that it feels less big, you know? Last year felt monumental. Very dramatic. This year feels very normal," McDavid said. "It's easier to play and function when it's just another day."

McDavid said at the media day there is only one thing on his mind. He wants to bring the first Stanley Cup back to Canada since 1993. He has listened to all of the questions about coming up short last season. He is ready for the puck to finally drop and for the final to begin.

"I would say it's just dealing with the emotion of it [better]. There's a big circus. It can feel like it's larger than it is, but at the end of the day it's another series. We're playing another great team and you've got to beat them before anything else happens. So they have our complete focus," he said.

McDavid then gave one final emphatic statement,

"All of our energy is going into beating the Florida Panthers," McDavid said. "There should be nothing else on anyone's mind."