McDavid was baffled before being surprised with NHL award while golfing
Connor McDavid has entered an exclusive club after his latest NHL award win.
The Edmonton Oilers superstar may not have won the Stanley Cup this season, but he still found a way to bring home some hardware. McDavid once again proved that he is the best player in the world this past season, leading the league in scoring with 138 points and putting up yet another dominant season.
His greatness wasn’t lost on his fellow players, who voted for McDavid to be this year’s Ted Lindsay Trophy Award, given to the NHL’s most outstanding player. This is the fifth time that the Oilers captain has won the award, which puts him in rarified air.
McDavid now ties Wayne Gretzky as the only player in NHL history to win the Ted Lindsay Award on five separate occasions.
ALL SQUARE AT FIVE š
Wayne Gretzky and Connor McDavid each have five Ted Lindsay Awards to their name! #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/5UgDdMvdLD
— NHL (@NHL) June 7, 2026
It’s a spectacular accomplishment for McDavid, and one that he likely holds in high esteem, considering it’s his fellow players who vote for the winner. This is also the first time since 2023 that the former first-overall pick has won the award.
Rather than present the honour at a gimmicky awards show in the offseason, the NHL decided to surprise McDavid on a golf course with the help of his wife, parents, brother, and closest friends.
The Oilers superstar seemed genuinely surprised as his parents brought the award to him via a golf cart.
“What the heck is this?” A surprised McDavid said as everyone approached him on the course. “I was texting my buddies mid-round, and they weren’t texting me back. I thought that was a little bit odd.
“Such a special way to do it with family here, friends, hometown buddies that I don’t get to spend too much time with. It means a lot.”
Connor McDavid, YOU ARE the Ted Lindsay Award winner for the fifth time! ššššš #NHLAwards
The award is presented annually to the most outstanding player as voted by the players. pic.twitter.com/11he99R8kY
— NHL (@NHL) June 7, 2026
McDavid has just about every NHL Award a player could want, other than the Stanley Cup. Outside of his five Ted Lindsay wins, the Oilers captain also has six Art Ross Trophies, three Hart Trophies, one Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, and one Conn Smythe Trophy.
Out of all those awards, McDavid said that the Lindsay holds a special place.
“This award, coming from the guys that you play against every single night and battle against every single night, and to have them recognize me, and an award that like this, it means so much,” McDavid said.
This may not be the only honour that McDavid receives this summer. He is a finalist for the Hart Trophy as well, and it will be interesting if the league can pull off yet another surprise if the Oilers superstar wins that as well.
The hope is that he can surpass Gretzky’s mark while still wearing an Oilers jersey in the years to come.