Monday Scramble: McDavid set to smash Olympic NHLer record, France’s fighter suspended, love for Slovakia, and no thanks to Foegele
Now Canada would be fine, obviously. Luckily, we don’t have to find out.
But the absolute dominance that McDavid has displayed in just three games is arguably the best three-game stretch for any NHL player in the Olympics.
Usually, offence cannibalizes on a stacked team like this. With McDavid, it’s quite the opposite.
Not only does he have nine points and is just two away from tying the NHLers record at an Olympics, held jointly by Teemu Selanne and Mikko Koivu from the 2006 games, but the number of scoring chances he’s contributed is off the charts.
He’s been involved in 32 scoring chances, according to the Hockey PDOcast, for first in the tournament, just one more than Leon Draisaitl for Germany. Then, there’s a gap to William Nylander and David Pastrnak.
Simply, McDavid is buzzing in ways that are not seen at this Olympic level.
What are the odds that McDavid could break that mark this tournament?
He would need nine points in three games, plus however many more Crosby is sure to gain. I’m just saying…
CelebriniI was with my junior team this weekend for a three-game trip in Calgary, Canmore, and Olds. While watching Macklin Celebrini score the shootout goal in my hotel room the thought clicked in my head.
It’s an obvious point, but I’d never thought of it like this: Celebrini is younger than several of the kids on my team.
Three goals in three games at the Olympics? Unbelievable.
James Duthie’s new book Certified Beauties, a great light read for hockey stories, had an excellent chapter on Celebrini. Duthie relayed on-air the anecdote that at five-years-old Celebrini was hitting balls into his neighbour’s yard and told his uncle that someday people were going to pay to watch him.
I’ll share a more amusing tale from the book that made me laugh.
In the lead-up the Brick Invitational Tournament, with a bunch of kids who didn’t know each other are nervously staring around the dressing room before practice. Nine-year-old Macklin stands up and allegedly says:
“All righty, boys, listen up. We have one rule in this dressing room. There’s no f—ing swearing!”
Outmatched nations stand upThis Olympic tournament has been fantastic, but I’ve talked to a few people who seem disconnected from it being in Europe and the timezone change.
The awkward times make the tournament feel global, at least for me. Yeah, the gold medal game on Sunday is going to be at 6:00AM and that isn’t ideal. But that’s the way she goes, Bubbles.
The best aspect of the group stage was how each country either won a game or put a scare in their opponent at one point or another.
Only France and Italy went winless, and both were either tied (beyond 0–0) or winning against a much stronger team in the second period. Denmark and Latvia both won games, and Slovakia upset their group for the number one seed in Pool B.
Underdog stories, learning about the complete unknowns on the world stage, that is the beauty of the Games.
Yes, we all love seeing our favourite pros. As Edmonton Oilers fans, we get to share Connor McDavid with the rest of the country. We wait with anticipation for the chance of seeing Canada win a third straight gold medal at best-on-best. But appreciate the greatness of Leonardo Genoni, the Swiss goalie who came off one of the great goaltending performances in international history at the 2025 World Championships, then registered the oldest shutout at the Olympics at 38 years old against France.
How about his 29 stops for the Swiss to beat Czechia and secure a five-seed?
How about Roman Cervanka at 41 playing his fifth Olympics for the Czechs?
How about Slovakia, which might be as hockey crazy per capita as any country on Earth, just one win away from a medal game?
If you love the game, this tournament has been spectacular, and the stakes are just about to rise.
Don’t get me wrong, the insanity of the three fights in nine seconds between Canada and the US at the 4 Nations was great. Using the NHL rulebook would be a benefit. But that tournament was four countries and not the world (excluding Russia and Belarus who hopefully one day can return).
With that said, if there are more World Cups, I’d love to see a best-of-three final. Imagine Canada vs United States multiple times for supremacy…
Provocative behaviour?
Speaking of the NHL rulebook and fighting internationally, we saw a kinda-sorta fight between Canada’s Tom Wilson and France’s Pierre Crinon, after a hit from behind on Nathan MacKinnon earlier had the Avalanche star looking a little worse-for-wear.
While the IIHF did not add extra discipline, France’s own hockey federation went nuclear on Crinon, suspending him for the rest of the tournament.
“Pierre Crinon’s provocative behavior upon leaving the ice, even though he had just been ejected from the game for fighting, constitutes a clear violation of the Olympic spirit and also undermines the values of our sport,” a press release said on Monday.Apparently Crinon is somewhat of a pest in France’s top division, having been suspended seven games earlier this season for punching a maskless goalie several times and injuring his eye.
Why did France pick him if not to provoke?
Alas, it’s unlikely France gets past Germany on Tuesday in the knockout round. Perhaps it’s best in case Crinon had eyes towards Draisaitl…
Slovakia’s charm
Having no family ties to the country, I’ve always had a soft spot for Slovakia in international tournaments. They are an essentially alberta-sized population and I remember in 2010 when they gave the Canada a major scare in the semi-final.
With Canada ahead 3-0 in the third period, Lubomir Visnovsky scored with 8:25 left. Then Michal Handzus drew Slovakia within one with 4:53 remaining.
That led to a frantic empty-net finish where Slovakia pressed for the equalizer. Pavol Demitra, with just seconds remaining, had a rebound chance at the side of the goal that Roberto Luongo denied with a desperation pad save.
Canada held onto win and Slovakia finished fourth.
For my money, that is the greatest under-discussed moments in hockey. Luongo makes a dynamic and thrilling save to clinch a win, and stones one of the most underrated players of all-time in Demitra. No overtime, no sudden death.
That Slovakia team was the crowning jewel of that country’s generation, loaded with talent: Marian Hossa, Pavol Demitra, Zdeno Chara, Marian Gaborik, Miroslav Satan, Ziggy Palffy, Jaroslav Halak, and on and on.
Halak cried after the 2014 Olympics saying no one was coming after this group. Over a decade later – and a bronze in 2022 – Slovakia wins their group in 2026 spearheaded by a 22-year-old Simon Nemec, 21-year-old Juraj Slavkofvsky, and 20-year-old Dalibor Dvorsky.
This Olympics might be a cycle too early, but I wouldn’t rule out a medal run this occasion either.
He scored how many?
Harry Watson owns the record for most points at an Olympics, and they didn’t even track his assists! At the 1924 Olympics in Chamonix, France, Watson scored 37 goals in six games, and it’s believed his assists would’ve totalled nine.
Canada won gold – their lone gold of that Games – and in six games defeated their opponents by a total score of 132-3 in games played outdoors. Pretty, pretty good.
Watson played senior hockey in Toronto, and his Allan Cup-winning team was selected to the Olympics, but he always refused to play professionally.
He turned down the NHL to the tune of $10,000 in 1924-25, which equates to roughly $183,000 in today’s dollars. Getting paid to play sports was viewed as gauche by many in that era.
Watson also fought in World War I and was a fighter ace in the Royal Flying Corps.
That’s hockey, baby.
Un-Warren-ted
The topic du jour last week of the the Oilers trading Andrew Mangiapane for struggling ex-pat Warren Foegele is no solution to the Oilers problem of creating cap space. Nor does it solve the issue of having a productive player for the money Edmonton is spending.
Foegele had some moments here, there’s no doubt, scoring 20 goals in 2023-24. This year, at $3.5 million, he’s produced six goals and eight points in 43 games.
But the magic trick Stan Bowman has to pull is finding a way to kill that money, so any trade that’s made actually fills a need. I suspect that’s why Mangiapane hasn’t be traded in the first place. The interest is nil without taking back another struggling player.
If so, then Bowman has to include Mangiapane in the trade that is aimed at improving the team, embargoing him with picks and whatever else to make the salary cap work.
I’ve said it before, I’m not sure how he’s going to do it.
Jeff Skinner is on waivers for the purpose of contract termination. Six goals and 13 points in 32 games for a player who can’t seem to find footing on a team for the second time in a row. He was healthy scratched for ten straight games.
With Knoblauch as the coach, there’s no fit for Skinner here.
Practices can begin Tuesday for NHL teams. Hopefully mini-camp for a player like Trent Frederic, whose foot speed is improving, be just the ticket to productivity in the final 24 games.
Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and has been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, he also collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues.
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