Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (pictured) is looking to follow in the footsteps of Wayne Gretzky. Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Wayne Gretzky tells Oilers' Connor McDavid he'll win Stanley Cup

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 4/3/20

The Edmonton Oilers haven't won the Stanley Cup since 1990, when Hall of Famers Mark Messier and Jari Kurri were members of the team, and they haven't been very good over the last decade or so. However, NHL legend Wayne Gretzky, a former teammate of Messier and Kurri, believes Oilers captain Connor McDavid will lead the organization to another Stanley Cup victory in the near future.

"When you guys do win — and you will win a Stanley Cup — the feeling is just over the top," Gretzky said during an interview the two did together with GQ. "You work your whole life to do that, because even at a young age you probably said, 'Connor McDavid scored in overtime, Game 7, I got the winning goal.' And if you lost you probably said, 'OK, we're going to play again.' So, you always won. But when you actually lift the Cup, it's pretty special, and you will lift it one day because you're too good."

Gretzky, of course, knows a thing or two about winning the NHL's most prized possession — he did so four times with the Oilers between 1983-88.

Since drafting McDavid first overall in 2015, the Oilers have made it to the playoffs once. They did so during the 2016-17 season and defeated the Sharks in six games during the first round, then fell to the Anaheim Ducks in the second round.

Before the NHL season was put on pause due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Oilers seemed destined to make it back to the playoffs with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the way. Edmonton currently is second in the Pacific Division with 83 points in 71 games played, and if the NHL decides to go right to the playoffs when the season resumes, the Oilers will play Round 1 against the rival Calgary Flames.

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