TORONTO, ON – The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is proud to announce that Erie Otters and Ontario Hockey League (OHL) alumnus Connor McDavid has been ranked No. 4 on the CHL’s Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years list, a marquee initiative of the CHL’s 50th anniversary season.
The countdown recognizes the greatest players from the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) since 1975-76, celebrating the stars who have defined major junior hockey over the past five decades. As part of the initiative, a panel of media members first selected the Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years. The final ranking order was then determined using a weighted formula that combined media and fan voting to rank the players from No. 1 through No. 50.
McDavid stands as one of the most accomplished players in CHL history, with a résumé defined by historic production with the OHL’s Erie Otters, a sweeping collection of league and national awards, and a professional career that has already placed him among hockey’s all-time greats.
Born in Richmond Hill and raised in Newmarket, Ont., McDavid joined the Otters after Erie selected him first overall in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection. Prior to arriving in Erie, he became just the third player in both OHL and CHL history to be granted exceptional player status, allowing him to enter the league as a 15-year-old.
McDavid played three seasons with the Otters from 2012-15, recording 285 points — 97 goals and 188 assists — over 166 OHL regular-season games. He added another 68 points — 25 goals and 43 assists — in 34 career OHL playoff contests, including one of the most dominant postseason performances in league history during his final season.
McDavid made an immediate impact in 2012-13, recording 66 points, including 25 goals and 41 assists, over 63 games as a rookie. That season, he was named OHL Rookie of the Year and earned a place on the OHL First All-Rookie Team.
He followed that with a standout 2013-14 campaign, producing 99 points (28 goals and 71 assists) in 56 regular-season games before adding 19 points in 14 playoff contests. That season, McDavid captured the William Hanley Trophy as the OHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player, the Bobby Smith Trophy as OHL Scholastic Player of the Year, and the CHL Scholastic Player of the Year Award, while also being named to the OHL Second All-Star Team.
In 2014-15, while serving as captain of the Otters, McDavid delivered one of the greatest individual seasons in modern CHL history. He averaged 2.55 points per game during the regular season, recording 120 points (44 goals and 76 assists) in just 47 games. He then erupted for 49 points, including 21 goals and 28 assists, in 20 playoff games to help lead Erie to the OHL Final.
McDavid’s 49 playoff points in 2015 stand as the second-most in a single OHL postseason, behind only the league record of 51. He was awarded the Wayne Gretzky ‘99’ Award as the 2015 OHL Playoffs MVP, becoming one of only two players to have ever earned the honour while playing for the losing team in the OHL Championship Series.
His final OHL season saw him sweep the CHL’s major individual honours, as he was named CHL Player of the Year, CHL Top Prospect, and CHL Scholastic Player of the Year. He also captured the Red Tilson Trophy as OHL MVP, earned the Bobby Smith Trophy as OHL Scholastic Player of the Year for a second straight season, and was named to the OHL First All-Star Team.
Following his exceptional OHL career, McDavid was selected first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2015 NHL Draft, becoming one of 42 CHL alumni to be chosen first overall in the NHL Draft since 1969. He made his NHL debut with the Oilers in 2015-16 and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team that season.
McDavid quickly became one of the defining players of his generation. In October 2016, he was named captain of the Oilers, becoming the youngest captain in NHL history at the time of his appointment at 19 years and 266 days old. Since then, he has captured the Hart Trophy three times, the Art Ross Trophy six times, the Ted Lindsay Award four times, the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy once, and the Conn Smythe Trophy once.
McDavid’s six Art Ross Trophy wins are tied with Gordie Howe and Laval Voisins (QMJHL) alumnus Mario Lemieux for the second-most in NHL history, behind only Soo Greyhounds (OHL) product Wayne Gretzky, who won the award a record 10 times. With 15 career individual NHL awards, as of May 11, McDavid ranks fifth in league history, trailing only Gretzky (31), Alex Ovechkin (19), Lemieux (17), and Oshawa Generals (OHL) alumnus Bobby Orr (17).
During the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, McDavid recorded 42 points (eight goals and 34 assists) in 25 games, with his 34 assists setting an NHL record for the most in a single postseason. Only Gretzky and Lemieux have recorded more points in one playoff year. Despite Edmonton falling short in the Stanley Cup Final, McDavid was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy, becoming the sixth player from a losing team to be named playoff MVP and the first skater to do so since Reggie Leach in 1976.
McDavid also reached the 1,000-point milestone in 659 career NHL games, making him the fourth-fastest player in league history to reach the mark, trailing only Gretzky (424), Lemieux (513), and Laval National (QMJHL) alumnus Mike Bossy (656).
Internationally, McDavid has built an impressive résumé with Canada, winning gold at the 2013 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship, and the 2016 IIHF World Championship. He also captained Canada at the 2018 IIHF World Championship, scored the championship-winning goal at the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025, and won silver at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
In recognition of his impact in Erie, the Otters retired McDavid’s No. 97 on January 10, 2025, during a pregame ceremony attended by McDavid and his family.
