Tony Van Bynen, mayor of the town of Newmarket, Ont., — the hometown of hockey phenom Connor McDavid — doesn’t hesitate for a second when asked if he would run against the 18-year-old in a popularity poll.
“Not a chance,” replies Van Bynen.
It’s the same answer you’d get from any hockey player, fan, or coach in North America these days if you asked if McDavid won’t be picked first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in next Friday’s NHL entry draft.
Not a chance.
In so many ways, the phrase is apt for McDavid, the player everyone is saying is “The Next One,” a player of the same caliber as Sidney Crosby, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, capable of transforming an NHL team.