NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky praised Edmonton Oilers second-year star Connor McDavid during an interview with the Canadian Press (via Sportsnet) on Monday, suggesting the youngster is further along in his development than some of the legends of the game were at the same age.
"I don’t think there’s any question that Connor’s the best 19-year-old hockey player I’ve ever seen, and I saw (Mark) Messier. I saw (Mario) Lemieux. I saw (Guy) Lafleur," Gretzky said. "This kid is special."
Gretzky's even joked that, at 55 years old, he could still thrive alongside McDavid.