For the fourth time in his career, Edmonton Oilers centre Connor McDavid of Richmond Hill, Ontario has won the ESPY Award for the best National Hockey League player. McDavid previously won the award in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
McDavid has now won the second most ESPY Awards for the best National Hockey League player. He is only behind Canadian Olympic gold medalist Sidney Crosby of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. Crosby, who won a gold medal for Team Canada in men’s hockey at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver and the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, has won eight ESPY Awards while playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He won the award in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
In 2025-26, McDavid had 48 goals and led the NHL with 90 assists, 138 points and 54 power-play points. He also was a +17 with 44 penalty minutes, two shorthanded points, four game-winning goals, 306 shots on goal, 457 faceoff wins, 30 blocked shots, 40 hits, 32 takeaways and 134 giveaways.
McDavid’s first shorthanded point was a shorthanded assist on a goal by Leon Draisaitl into an empty net to close out the scoring with one minute and 13 seconds left in the third period in a 3-1 Oilers win over the Vancouver Canucks on October 11. McDavid’s second shorthanded point was a shorthanded goal and came on an all-Canadian goal in a 3-1 Oilers win over the Boston Bruins on December 18, 2025. McDavid scored from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of Burnaby, British Columbia and defenseman Darnell Nurse of Hamilton, Ontario at 1:41 of the third period to close out the scoring.
