Paul Bissonnette delivers bold take on Connor McDavid's GOAT status

Former NHL player turned analyst Paul Bissonnette shared a bold take on Connor McDavid's status as the potential next "GOAT" (Greatest Of All Time) in hockey. His comments came during an episode of "Games With Names" podcast while discussing McDavid's overtime goal that gave Canada a 4 Nations Face-Off championship victory over the USA.

When asked point blank if McDavid is the next GOAT, Bissonnette said:

"He is him. What he does on the ice—I don’t get it, I don’t understand it."

He went on to recount his experience facing the young phenom early. During an exhibition game when Bissonnette was with the LA Kings organization, he was on the ice against McDavid twice.

"The first time, he grabbed the puck in his own end, went through all five of us, and scored," Bissonnette added. "The second time, he set someone up, and they scored. His speed, his puck control—I was like, "I’m done."

Bissonnette said after that game, he knew his playing career was over. He said:

"The game was being handed off to someone new, which I didn’t think was even possible."

He was sent down to the minors the next day.

While admitting he doesn't fully comprehend Connor McDavid's unreal skills, Bissonnette says it's exciting for the NHL to have a generational talent leading the next era of hockey.

Co-host Julian Edelman also agreed with Bissonnette's take Mcdavid, saying:

"That’s exciting, though. It is. It’s so exciting for hockey. The league needs one guy. Basketball has multiple guys, but they’re not American, so they can’t build around them in the same way."

"Hockey’s different. I consider Canada and American guys as "North American"—where you can rally behind them. Other sports don’t have that right now. Hockey has a future." Edelman added.

Edelman believes Connor McDavid can rally fans from both Canada and the US as "the one guy" to build around, which no other major sport currently has.

Paul Bissonnette compares Connor McDavid to NHL legend Wayne Gretzky

Paul Bissonnette told a story about Wayne Gretzky and his father Walter, who was an innovator that helped develop Gretzky's skills from a young age.

Walter built a pond in their backyard and had Wayne practice with tennis balls, telling him that controlling a tennis ball would make his hands softer and allow him to cradle the puck better than anyone else.

"Those little details propelled Wayne to be a phenom and live up to all the hype, kind of like McJesus." Bissonnette added.

Bissonnette sees similarities with Connor McDavid, whose prodigious talent has led to lofty expectations.