Connor McDavid gives figure skating fans a reason to look beyond the puck. This first Winter Sports feature offers three viewing questions: how does a rush begin, how does its curve change, and what choice comes next?
Meet the player
McDavid is a Canadian center with the Edmonton Oilers. His sport is ice hockey; the comparison here is a way to watch shared skating skills, not a figure skating assessment.
One historical performance shows his impact. In the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he recorded 34 assists and eight goals in 25 games. The 42-point total accompanied the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the player judged most valuable to his team in the playoffs. Edmonton lost the Final to Florida in seven games. Winning that individual award did not mean winning the Stanley Cup. [1]
Original AI profile illustration; not a photograph or a reconstruction of a particular game.
Speed is the starting question
NHL EDGE reported McDavid at 24.61 mph, approximately 39.61 km/h, against Calgary on 8 October 2025. [2]
A recorded maximum tells us about one measured burst. It does not tell us which player has the best edges, how difficult a particular turn was, or how a skating judge would evaluate movement. For this feature, the more useful question is what happens around that burst: its beginning, its route and its purpose.
An earlier NHL interview described his work on agility, edges and puck handling. [3] That provides background for the viewing questions below. They are Figure Lounge’s editorial framework, not a measured biomechanical study or a claim that every rush follows an identical pattern.
1. Follow the first push
Choose a rush in an official highlight and begin watching before the puck reaches the attacking zone. Can you locate the change from waiting or gliding to active propulsion? Follow the skates for a moment, then watch the body move across the ice.
For a figure skating viewer, this changes the focus from the final result to the preparation. Instead of counting every stride, ask when the player begins creating space. A camera cut may hide that beginning; use another sequence rather than filling in the missing movement.
2. Follow the changing curve
Next, trace the route with your eyes. Does the player continue along one broad curve, change direction, or take a more direct line? Watch the defender’s position as well. A turn has a tactical context: the available space can change as another player moves.
An edge is familiar vocabulary for figure skating fans, but a broadcast angle rarely gives a reliable close view of blade contact. Describe the visible route before assigning a precise edge or named figure skating turn. Hockey and figure skating share ice, while their equipment and movement tasks differ.
Maya and Leo are Figure Lounge’s fictional adult guides. This conceptual AI illustration introduces viewing questions; it does not demonstrate McDavid’s technique.
3. Follow the next decision
On a final viewing, return to the puck. What happens after the change of pace or direction: a pass, a shot, continued possession or a defensive interruption? Include unsuccessful plays. They can make the relationship between movement and available options easier to see.
Try separating those three viewings rather than watching everything at once. First see the start, then the route, then the decision. You do not need to turn a hockey clip into a skating lesson to appreciate the control behind it.
Keep watching
Strength to explore: speed connected to a changing game situation. Viewing focus: the relationship between the player’s route and the defender. Next question: which options remain when space narrows?
Open the NHL’s McDavid feature with an official rush highlight, then try those questions on a sequence you choose. This article is a profile and viewing guide, not a report on that article’s current-season statistics.
For a different skating context, explore the Axel’s forward takeoff and backward landing or HighPure Synchro 9’s connected practice movements.
Sources and scope
- NHL media release: McDavid selected 2024 Conn Smythe winner, 25 June 2024. Historical playoff statistics and award context.
- NHL EDGE: Biggest storylines of 2025, 1 January 2026. The speed refers to 8 October 2025; it is not presented as a current record. Conversion: mph × 1.609344.
- NHL: McDavid remains grounded despite Oilers success, 3 August 2017. Historical training context, not a current training schedule.
Sources checked on 8 November 2026 (KST). The viewing framework is editorial guidance, not a scored technical assessment. No image is presented as evidence of an actual play.