Connor McDavid in the midst of a controversy after Game 7
Connor McDavid is the best player in the world, which is no longer up for debate.
He proves it game after game, season after season, even in the playoffs. He is an extraordinary player.
So much so that he won the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the best player in the playoffs, despite being on the losing side.
It's very rare to see this happen, but it is well deserved. McDavid accumulated 42 points and was the architect of his team's comeback against the Panthers.
Unfortunately, it was a 2-1 defeat in Game 7 that sent him home with just one trophy in hand.
Visibly disappointed, McDavid did not return to the ice after being named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner. For him, the disappointment was probably too great and the loss too difficult to accept.
It's understandable, and personally, I can't blame him. He deserves the Conn Smythe, but it's an individual trophy, whereas he was hoping to lift the most important trophy: the Stanley Cup.
Online, however, it's a different story. Many people are outraged. According to them, Connor should have shown up to accept his trophy.
"Everyone who won it on the losing side went to get it. Except him."
"By the way, I 100% understand his disappointment. But there's respect for this trophy, which isn't just any trophy.
It's the danger of awarding the Conn-Smythe to a player from the losing team. It's not like it's the first time it has happened."
- Mikaël Lalancette
There are other opinions that are closer to mine.
That anyone judged him for that right after taking the biggest gut punch of his life is simply ridiculous."
- Eric Engels
McDavid thus becomes the first player in history to turn his back on the Conn Smythe Trophy. The two previous winners on the losing side, Jean-Sébastien Giguère and Ron Hextall, posed with the trophy.
It's a controversy for some, normal for others. I don't believe there should be any controversy. McDavid made his choice and only he will have to live with it, and we must respect that.
| POLL | ||
Do you think Connor McDavid should have posed with the Conn Smythe despite the loss? | ||
| Yes | 332 | 37.7 % |
| No | 549 | 62.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
