Edmonton Oilers stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl may have made the night of several fans during a recent beer league game. Last Wednesday, McDavid and Draisaitl showed up at a pickup game at the Magna Centre in the Toronto suburb of Newmarket, Ontario.
McDavid played hockey in Newmarket as a child, so it marked a return to his roots. The Oilers dynamic duo sported the franchise’s practice jerseys when they hit the ice.
According to reports from the game, neither McDavid or Draisaitl scored a goal during the pickup game. Of course, neither player was playing at breakneck speeds, but McDavid was stopped on multiple breakaways by the opposing goaltender. The goaltender certainly now has something to tell all hockey fans after he turned aside a shot from McDavid.
In even crazier fashion, McDavid and Draisaitl’s team ultimately lost the game 6-2 and were down 4-0 after the opening period.
According to TSN, the on-ice officials were told ahead of time that McDavid and Draisaitl were going to play in the game that evening. Much like the players, it was probably quite a thrill to get to officiate a game in which two of the NHL’s biggest stars were playing in.
While McDavid’s surprise appearance may have been a surprise to some, he’s actually played in beer leagues in the past. In 2023, he actually suited up in a championship game against a team that featured Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield.
“That’s a league I played in with my buddies for over ten years now. We joined that league back when I played junior hockey. I was a little bit surprised to see it get blown up,” McDavid told ESPN. “I’ve been playing in those games for over a decade now. So it’s pretty funny that it just kind of came up.”
McDavid has already had an eventful offseason after the Oilers lost to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive season. Following that loss, many have speculated as to whether the 2025-26 campaign will be McDavid’s last as a member of the Oilers since he’s slated to be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
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