‘People have me pegged as a robot’: Oilers’ McDavid on emotional response to Helleson hit

Edmonton Oilers hasn’t always been known for big quotable moments – but that wasn’t the case on Thursday evening.

A little before the halfway mark of Edmonton’s game against the Anaheim Ducks, Connor McDavid was driven into the Ducks’ net by Drew Helleson, leaving the Oilers’ captain on the ice in pain. In the end, Oilers forward Vasily Podkolzin dropped the gloves with Ducks defenseman Helleson, but only Podkolzin was awarded a major for fighting.

The Oilers lost the game 5-4, falling to 11-3-3 on the season.

“Obviously it’s a play that is a little sensitive to me,” McDavid said in a post-game media scrum. “Those are plays that I’ve been really, really hurt on before. Going into the net, those type of plays I find to be dangerous. And obviously I didn’t love it.”

McDavid was injured in 2019 after getting driven into the net by former Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano in a similar-looking incident. McDavid was forced to spend the summer rehabbing the injury.

“When you’re going Mach 1 into the end wall or into the net, you know, those are dangerous plays in my opinion, and a situation that I find myself a lot in,” McDavid said.

McDavid ultimately wasn’t injured on the play on Thursday, but he still let Hellson know he didn’t appreciate the contact.

“I think people have me pegged as some type of robot, but I’ve got feelings and emotions too and when that comes out, it can rile a game up,” McDavid said. “And obviously I appreciated the response from Podzy. As I said, I thought it was an unfortunate call. Didn’t like the call really one bit. It is what it is.

“If I do that to him, go Mach 1 into the end wall it’s a five-game suspension and everything like that. The net is just as dangerous in my opinion. With the goalie there, the post there, it’s just as dangerous.”