After the 2024 Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid broke down and sobbed in the team’s dressing room. After rallying from a 3-0 series deficit, the Oilers came short just one goal and lost Game 7.
Amazon Prime’s new documentary series was in the Oilers’ room at the moment and caught on tape the emotions of the players, including McDavid, who broke down in tears. He was consoled by teammates Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, but you can tell in a video that is tough to watch how heartbreaking the loss was on the entire roster.
In a recent interview, McDavid spoke about his offseason and moving past the terrible loss in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. He explained how that the hurt and heartbreak of falling short in the Stanley Cup Final never goes away.
“For me, there hasn’t been a ton of sitting back and reflecting. It’s been go-go-go. For me, that’s almost been good, being busy. Again, I’m not sure it’s something that you ever get over.
“(Ex-Oilers GM) Kenny Holland met with us after the season and he talked about losing in ’09 in Game 7. How the disappointment sticks with him to this day. And that’s coming from a guy who’s won Cups before. So I’m not sure it’s something you ever get over. But time moves on.”
The hope in Edmonton is that the Oilers and McDavid will more motivated than ever to get back to the Stanley Cup Final and win the championship this time around. Because as we can see in the video above, the agony of defeat can be brutal.