BEATING THE BUG
McDavid to play against Blues
Just before Ken Hitchcock finished his post-game press conference in Dallas Monday night, he got a short and sweet final query about the ailing Connor McDavid.
“You think Connor can play Wednesday in St. Louis?”
“I hope so,” said Hitchcock in one of his shortest answers to a question.
Prayers answered. McDavid, who came off a busted collarbone Feb. 16, 2016, after sitting out 37 games, hadn’t missed one since then, but he beat the flu like he does his checkers and was flying around the ice here at practice Tuesday. He’ll be just fine for the game against the Blues, as will Ryan Spooner, who also was sick Monday.
McDavid was sick as a dog last season, too, for about a month, but kept playing. But not in Dallas.
“I thought right up until just before we left (the hotel) for the rink I could play, but I felt it better to get some rest,” said McDavid, who watched the game on TV while his dad Brian was in a private suite with the other fathers on this twogame trip.
“You never like to do it, but rest was the better option. I feel a lot better. There’s a lot that goes into a game, preparing for it, playing it, then after games I usually don’t sleep. But I got a good night’s sleep.”
McDavid certainly wanted to play in front of his dad, but he’ll get the chance Wednesday. His father, a former New York Islanders draft pick, had a large influence in his early playing days.
“He’s a pretty smart guy. He was my coach for a number of years and still every now and then he gives me advice like any dad,” said McDavid.
Leon Draisaitl took McDavid’s spot on the top line with Alex Chiasson and Milan Lucic in Dallas, but with McDavid back Tuesday Lucic returned to the banging line with Kyle Brodziak and Zack Kassian.
ALL PERSONAL, NOT BUSINESS
Patrick Maroon wanted to play for the Blues because St. Louis is where he’s from, but really it was a family, not a business or hockey decision to sign here in July. He wanted to see his boy Anthony every day rather than just a few weeks during the season like in Edmonton.
“To tell my son I had a chance to play in St. Louis and not to sign here ... I think he would have been devastated,” said Maroon. “To be here and be a part of his life, to be a full-time dad for the first time, to see what he does was what I wanted.
“I’ve seen him more in the last three months than any time in (his) nine years. I went on my first Halloween with him. I think he was Freddy (Krueger).”
The decision to sign for one year at $1.75 million after the Oilers traded him to New Jersey for a third-round draft pick and college centre J.D. Dudek was the most important one he has made because it was family. Also, the Blues traded for Ryan O’Reilly and signed Tyler Bozak and David Perron as free agents.
“It was difficult to not go back to Jersey because I thought I fit and put up good numbers there (13 points in 17 games). I was producing in the same situations Edmonton had me in,” said Maroon.
Anthony used to skate after the Oilers practices in Edmonton when he was on holidays and visiting Maroon, but now he’s in school here so he doesn’t, but Maroon goes to his hockey games. Anthony is really obsessed with basketball as a fan and a player. As a point guard, he’s got game and made a select team here.
Maroon, who will be on the third line against the Oilers with Bozak and Vladimir Tarasenko, is wearing No. 7 here, not his well-travelled No. 19.
“It’s not like I can take that number away from Bouw (Jay Bouwmeester),” said Maroon with a laugh. “Plus I wore (No.) 7 in junior here and in London (of the Ontario Hockey League).”
The No. 7 is a famous one here with Red Berenson, Garry Unger, Hall of Famer Joey Mullen and Keith Tkachuk having worn it, but it’s not retired. Maybe because they couldn’t decide whom to honour specifically with a sweater retirement night.