EDMONTON, Alberta — To misquote the often-quoted, old television ad for E.F. Hutton, “When Connor McDavid speaks, people listen.”
The NHL’s best player, who is on a career-high 20-game point streak that’s produced a Wayne Gretzky-like 19 goals and 27 assists, spoke before his Oilers faced the Islanders on Thursday night.
So people should listen to what McDavid had to say about Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech, his former junior hockey teammate. And they should listen to McDavid’s thoughts on sensational rookie Matthew Schaefer, who also played for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League and, like McDavid, was selected first overall in both the OHL and NHL drafts.
“He was a great teammate, a great defenseman, first of all,” McDavid said, starting with Pelech. “He’s a guy I didn’t know a ton about when I went to Erie. I just had such an appreciation for how good he was. He probably doesn’t get enough credit for how good he is. He goes about his business quietly. But such a solid, solid defenseman.”
It almost feels like a jinx to point this out, but Pelech is having such a resurgent season, now paired with Tony DeAngelo, because he’s been healthy, unlike the previous three seasons. Suiting up Thursday meant Pelech, who has not played more than 61 games since 2021-22, has been available for all 47 games this season.
Pelech’s Corsi for percentage of 52.6 is fifth on the team and second among defensemen behind DeAngelo, according to Hockey-Reference.com, indicating the Islanders have been able to control the puck with the pair on ice. As a comparison, McDavid’s is 60.4.
Of course, there are no comparisons to McDavid.
“He was incredibly impressive as a player but, also, he’s a great teammate,” said Pelech, who played with McDavid for two OHL seasons from 2012-14. “A lot of great memories. Very nice of him to say nice things about me.”
Pelech was then asked what the equivalent of scoring in 20 straight games would be for a defenseman.
“Yeah, I don’t know,” Pelech said. “It’s just nonstop with him. He keeps getting better and better.”
The same could be said for Schaefer, 18, who entered Thursday with 13 goals and 17 assists in 46 games and, most important, healthy after a rough go in Tuesday’s 5-4 loss in Winnipeg.
Schaefer was put through concussion protocol in the first period, though Schaefer said the hit from defenseman Josh Morrissey actually got him in the stomach. Then, Schaefer hobbled to the bench after taking defenseman Luke Schenn’s slap shot off his leg. Schaefer, examined by the Islanders’ medical staff after the match, said the puck temporarily deadened a nerve in his knee.
“He’s a special player,” McDavid said. “It’s a tough league to come into [as an 18-year-old] no matter the position but certainly a defenseman. You’re asked to do a lot of different things. You’re asked to be responsible to break pucks out against a heavy forecheck against big men and he’s doing great.”
This was just McDavid’s second on-ice encounter with Schaefer after he was held to one assist in the Islanders’ 4-2 win at UBS Arena on Oct. 16.
Coach Patrick Roy sees Schaefer on a daily basis.
“Schaef is doing something very special,” Roy said. “Every day, you’re like, ‘OK, is he going to hit the wall?’ And he hasn’t.”
Schaefer said McDavid’s legacy with Erie helped.
“Going to a U.S. team, it was a little bit different,” Schaefer said. “But seeing guys like McDavid go through and pave the way for guys like me and create a big legacy, my time there was awesome.”
Well spoken.
Notes & quotes: Defenseman Cole McWard, a healthy scratch for the third straight game, was named as Bridgeport’s lone representative for the Atlantic Division squad at the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic on Feb. 10-11 in Rockford, Illinois. McWard has five goals and 11 assists in 29 games for Bridgeport . . . Roy elevated Simon Holmstrom to the first power-play unit while swapping Jonathan Drouin to the second. Drouin entered Thursday without a goal in his last 23 games dating to Nov. 14. “We talked this morning,” Roy said. “I want him to focus on things that he can control and what he controls is how he plays every shift and not worry about the result. The results will come.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.