Connor McDavid is expected to be the next great young skater in the NHL. The bar has been set extremely high as McDavid has received some high praise and big comparisons. Inevitably, any young star with huge upside is compared to Wayne Gretzky. So, what does Gretzky think of McDavid? He thinks McDavid could be the next Crosby, Lemieux or even the next Gretzky.
Gretzky’s comments, via The Province:
“I just think he’s a really good young player. I saw Sidney Crosby at 14, got to meet him, got to know him. He’s been the best player in the game. This young man McDavid is that calibre. He has the potential to be a Crosby, a Gretzky, a Lemieux.
Seems like he’s a really nice young man, he says all the right things and I think he’s really going to enjoy playing and living in Edmonton.”
It’s kind of strange to hear Gretzky refer to a player as potentially the next Gretzky, but that’s the type of praise McDavid is receiving. Of course, comments like these only add more and more pressure on McDavid’s shoulders, but he certainly appears to have the talent and skill to back up all of the hype.
Gretzky also added some very complementary remarks about the city of Edmonton itself.
“It’s a wonderful city and I said when they got McDavid that day that he’s going to love playing there, he’s going to love the city, the people there are wonderful.
I still go there and the people there are always courteous. It’s a tremendous hockey city, it’s a great sports city.”
