SPORTS TALK: McDavid's Stanley Cup appearance doesn't stack up

By Greg Buchanan

The 2024 Stanley Cup Final has the potential to be magical, and it's largely because of Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid.

McDavid is the greatest player of his era. He's at or near the zenith of his powers, and in his ninth season, he's finally competing for his first NHL championship.

The Florida Panthers are the only thing left between him and the Stanley Cup.

This year, you've got the best player in the game, who can do things that other people can't.

McDavid, going for his first title, should have the same intrigue as LeBron James's first appearance in the NBA Finals. McDavid is hockey's LeBron in terms of making good on his phenom potential.

Yet, for all of McDavid's impressive resume and impeccable skills, it doesn't seem to stack up. In fact, McDavid's first trip to the final might not even compare to Wayne Gretzky or Sidney Crosby reaching that stage in the United States.

With Gretzky, you had a smaller league, and in the aftermath of the World Hockey Association, there was the merger. With Sidney Crosby, he played for a franchise that was either No. 1 or No. 2 in terms of regional television audiences in the United States.

Then there was the almost Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa-type bouncing back from the lost season. Crosby was part of that context (with Alex Ovechkin). He was a big hope to get people past that.

And LeBron James was basketball. He had high-school hype.

McDavid is still the most recognizable player across the NHL.

Hardcore hockey fans will be watching him in the Stanley Cup Final, and the McDavid narrative should be enough to interest casual fans.

McDavid is like a god in Edmonton — one of his nicknames is McJesus — and he's one of the most well-known people in Canada. That applies in the United States, too, to some extent.

That McDavid plays in Edmonton, one of the smallest markets and the most-northern-based team in North American pro sports, doesn't help.

There's no question that if he were playing in an American market, he'd be an even bigger name among American hockey fans and American sports fans.

If he's at his best, there's a strong chance that'll put the Oilers over the top. And if that happens, there's no doubt he'll become a bigger star in the United States.

You may find it funny to hear this, but casual sports fans are the ones who drive this train. It's not the hardcore. It's when you convert and create awareness among casual fans, like Gretzky created in Los Angeles, that things turn around.

Connor McDavid winning a Stanley Cup in 2024 will certainly make him that much more recognizable and appreciated in 2025 and beyond.