NEWARK, N.J. — Edmonton Oilers head coach Todd McLellan has seen his share of fast skaters and skilled players come and go in more than two decades of coaching hockey. He’s watched players with elite skills flame out as quickly as they came in.
“Paul MacLean used to call them ‘Morning Glory,’” McLellan said, referencing the current Anaheim Ducks assistant coach. “You’d watch these guys in the morning, and you’d think ‘Wow,’ and then you’d watch them at night, and you didn’t even know they’d played.”
Skill is essential for most hockey players’ success, but creativity, confidence and poise are what separate the elite from the good.
And McLellan sees the whole package in Connor McDavid.
“You can have the speed and the skill, but you have to have the brain to match it,” McLellan said. “Connor has the mind to match the skill set. He has a brilliant mind to go along with his brilliant skill set.”
McDavid has been a household name in Canada for years thanks to his highly decora ...
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Article written by Pat Pickens
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