Connor McDavid looks to join Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby and others as 'revenge' Cup winners

EDMONTON Connor McDavid doesnt need any reminders about how important it is for him and the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup, yet there they were in plain sight on Tuesday.

As he sat on his dais during media day, the day before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, over his left shoulder was a gigantic backdrop of Florida Panthers nemesis Matthew Tkachuk hoisting the silver chalice after last years series.

Over his right, there was Wayne Gretzky as an Oiler doing the same in 1984.

Advertisement Talk about symbolism.

McDavid is trying to avenge last years Final loss to the Panthers.

Hes also trying to emulate Gretzky and win his first championship by beating the same opponent a year later.

Sometimes, as McDavid acknowledged Tuesday, perhaps a team has to lose before it can learn to win.

You hear everybody say it just keep giving yourselves opportunities to be in this position, McDavid said.

Keep giving yourselves chances to win and eventually it happens.

Weve done that.

Weve put ourselves in another good spot.

Learned a lot of lessons last year in that month that we can use this year.

The Oilers-Panthers series marks the 12th Stanley Cup Final rematch in history.

The last two times, Gretzky and the 1984 Oilers avenged their loss to the New York Islanders, and the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins, with Sidney Crosby, avenged their loss to the Detroit Red Wings.

Those are two of the greatest players in NHL history, and McDavid with a resume that includes three league MVPs, five scoring titles and a Conn Smythe Trophy is right there with them.

Now he seeks to add a Stanley Cup championship, like them.

The jobs not any easier because of that stat, Oilers defenseman Jake Walman said of the 1984 Oilers and 2009 Penguins.

Theres still a lot of work to be done.

But Connors name can, for sure, be mentioned in that category or any category in hockey.

Getting back to this point is the only thing McDavid and the Oilers wanted out of this season.

The way they lost to the Panthers, storming back from a 3-0 series deficit only to lose by a goal in Game 7, was heartbreaking.

McDavids look of devastation as the Panthers celebrated, and the video of him in tears in the Oilers dressing room, were hard to watch.

But that just might make winning that much sweeter if the Oilers can beat the Panthers now.

Advertisement I hope history repeats itself, Oilers blueliner Troy Stecher said, referring to the 1984 and 2009 series.

Its funny how things work.

More than anything, you have to look at those three individuals and how their drive and dedication and commitment to the game is above and beyond anybody else.

Losing sucks.

It hurts everybody.

But I feel like maybe those three, being at a level they are, hurts a little bit more.

Its almost like they wont take no for an answer.

Obviously, I hope thats the case.

The assumption, just from statistics, might be that McDavid hasnt helped the Oilers as much this season.

He still recorded 100 points for the eighth time in his career and leads the NHL playoffs with 27 points.

But there was no 100-assist campaign, as there was a year ago, and hes well behind his record-setting 34 playoff helpers.

The numbers show only a fraction of what he means to the Oilers.

He just wants to win, Oilers center Adam Henrique said.

You can see the competitive nature in everything that he does off the ice as well.

If hes the benchmark and the best player in the world, and hes doing all sorts of things to try to be one percent better, that bleeds through everybody else.

Thats exactly it.

Its just like Crosby and Gretzky before him.

There was a famous NHL advertisement featuring Crosby after the Penguins lost to the Red Wings in 2008.

Doc Emricks call of the Red Wings winning it all is played as a photo of Penguins, dejected at their bench, appears on the screen.

Suddenly, a frozen Crosby comes to life and starts talking.

This is a tough one, getting this close and not winning the Cup, Crosby says in the ad.

But I know itll make our team ever stronger.

I never want to be in this photograph again.

Crosby affixed a Red Wings celebratory picture on his gym wall to serve as motivation as he worked out all summer.

McDavid said he couldnt recall the specifics behind the commercial, but he certainly understands the sentiment.

I see the parallels that everyone wants to write about, McDavid said.

This is a different story, different teams, different groups.

Im just excited to have another kick at the can here.

Advertisement McDavids assistant coach, Paul Coffey, also gets it.

The Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman recalled a conversation he had with his teammate Gretzky after the Oilers were swept by the New York Islanders in 1983.

Leaving the dressing room, I said to Wayne, Lets go, lets get out of here, Coffey said.

He looked at me and said, Ill never be a Bryan Trottier or a Guy Lafleur unless I win a Stanley Cup.

As soon as he said that, I went, Were in good hands.

McDavid has repeatedly said that he cant be considered one of the best players ever unless he claims a championship.

There are few who burn to win like McDavid.

Its almost always the first thing anyone who knows him says about him.

Henrique said hes never played with anyone in his 14-year NHL career who has McDavids competitive fire.

Thats what stood out to Oilers general manager Stan Bowman, too, after being hired in July.

McDavid was well into his offseason training regimen with his longtime strength coach Gary Roberts by then.

The first time I talked to Connor ...

all he talked about was, I just want to win the Cup.

That was it, Bowman said.

We didnt talk about anything else.

This is his singular focus.

Theres no one else you want to go to battle with than someone like that.

You could see how bad he wanted it when it didnt go Edmontons way in Game 7.

Right now, hes on a mission.

Its almost like this moment has been preordained for McDavid from the time he was a boy.

Walman was McDavids minor-hockey teammate and opponent in the Greater Toronto Area, and recalls McDavid getting to the rink two hours early to practice his stickhandling.

Its something, Walman says, McDavid still does with a golf ball in the Oilers dressing room before games.

Walman could tell from the time McDavid was 7 and he was 8 that McDavid was bound to be an NHL superstar.

Advertisement I always knew this guy was going to be the best, Walman said after calling him perfect.

McDavid has been the heir apparent to Gretzky as the next great Oiler from the moment the Oilers won the draft lottery in 2015 for the right to pick him first overall.

McDavid has done little to disappoint since then, establishing himself as the top talent of his era and one of the best of all time.

Remarkably, though, that draft was 10 years ago.

McDavid is still missing a Stanley Cup championship.

Its the only thing hes missing.

Its everything hes ever dreamed of, longtime running mate Leon Draisaitl said.

Its everything that he ever put his work in for, that he grinds for, that he plays through injuries for.

Being the face of this franchise, of a Canadian franchise, he wears it, and he embraces it and thats what makes him special.

It wouldnt just be special if McDavid helped get the Oilers over the hump this time.

It would be a perfectly crafted script.

It would also be just another way to compare McDavid to Gretzky, who has a statue outside the Oilers arena, and to Crosby, who was McDavids childhood favorite player.

Like I said to Connor three or four years ago, Ive seen a lot of the greats, either played with them or against them.

You dont take a backseat to anybody, Coffey said.

And he doesnt.

Unfortunately or fortunately, youve got to be a champion and hell be one.

I have so much respect for that kid.

I get to watch him day in and day out, bringing everyone along, bringing everybody into the fight and just being an incredible team player.

(Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic contributed to this report.) (Photo of Connor McDavid: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images).

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