Legendary HC Don Cherry delivers brutally honest take on superstar Connor McDavid's potential as a head coach in the NHL

Connor McDavid has been one of the NHL's top players since the Edmonton Oilers drafted him in 2015. His speed, vision, and playmaking skills make him a standout. Over the years, McDavid has won multiple awards, including the Art Ross Trophy and the Hart Memorial Trophy. His ability to control games has led to comparisons with hockey greats like Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky.

Don Cherry, a former hockey player, coach, and commentator, shared his views on whether McDavid could become a coach. On episode 295 of his Grapevine Podcast, Cherry explained why top players often struggle as coaches. Cherry mentioned McDavid, saying that while he’s great on the ice, he might not be a good coach.

(7:35) "It seems, it seems as if they, they go into a world of their own. And McDavid won't make a good coach either. As great as he is, he won't make a great coach because they just, they go into a world of their own," Don Cherry said.

According to Cherry, players like McDavid have a unique understanding of the game that others may not share. This makes it hard for them to teach players without the same instincts.

Despite dealing with injuries and team struggles, McDavid has continued to excel. In 2024, he helped lead the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals, their first since 2006. Although the team didn’t win, McDavid earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as the best player in the playoffs. He became part of a rare group of players to win the award without winning the Cup.

This season, Connor McDavid has scored 22 goals, recorded 49 assists, and totaled 71 points.

Connor McDavid talked about the early fights and expressed hope despite the loss

Connor McDavid stayed positive after Canada’s 3-1 loss to the U.S. at Bell Center in Montreal on Saturday. McDavid gave Canada an early lead but they failed to pierce Team USA's defense later.

The game started with three fights in the first nine seconds, with Matthew Tkachuk fighting Brandon Hagel, Brady Tkachuk facing Sam Bennett and J.T. Miller taking on Colton Parayko.

Talking about the physical play, McDavid said Canada did not plan the fights.

"Not on our side, no," McDavid said to the media. "We wanted to get off to a good start, get the fans into it. Um, pretty proud of all three of those guys to step up and do that."

Despite the loss, Connor McDavid believes Canada is still in the tournament.

"It was fast, tight-checking, competitive, emotional...," McDavid said. "It had everything that you would want in a hockey game. I thought, as I said, it sucks that it didn't go our way, but it seems far from over."

Canada must beat Finland in regulation on Monday to reach the final. If they do so, they will face Team USA once again in the finals.