Oilers' Connor McDavid Is Redefining Speed in Hockey
If you were at Rogers Place on October 8, you probably saw it. Connor McDavid wasn’t just skating—he was flying. In the second period against the Calgary Flames, he hit a top speed of 24.61 miles per hour. To put that in context, that’s the fastest anyone has been in the NHL EDGE tracking era for the Oilers, ever. He topped his previous high from last season, 24.19 mph. That’s not a blip. That’s a statement.
McDavid Dominates the Speed Charts
What makes McDavid so special is that he doesn’t just show up for a moment. He’s dominating the speed conversation with bursts over 22 mph. He already leads the league with 81 of those this season. Counting his 20-plus mph bursts? A staggering 362. That’s not an outlier. That’s McDavid being McDavid.
And yet, how often do we stop and think about what that speed actually does to a game? It isn’t just about loose pucks or breakaways. It’s about the psychology of every defender on the ice. You see a player moving that fast, and it changes everything—positioning, timing, gaps. Teams start guessing. Coaches adjust lines not because he scored yet, but because they know he could. That’s the kind of pressure that doesn’t show up on the score sheet but dictates the game’s flow.
McDavid Isn’t Just Fast—He’s Redefining Speed in Hockey
McDavid isn’t just faster than everyone else; he’s faster than the game itself. Every time he touches the puck, it’s a little more than a shift—it’s a measurement of the impossible. This is a player who’s building numbers nobody else comes close to touching, not with a stick, not with a stride. EDGE stats can measure speed, but they can’t fully capture how that speed warps the ice around him.
Some will argue it’s flash, that speed doesn’t win games by itself. Maybe. But when you combine it with vision, hands, and that uncanny ability to read the play, you get a player who turns small windows into highlight reels and average plays into something extraordinary. And that’s why, even in a league full of fast skaters, McDavid still belongs in a category of one.
Connor McDavid’s speed isn’t just a number. It’s a warning, a promise, and sometimes, a little bit of magic. And the rest of the NHL? They’re literally still trying to catch up.