Oilers' Connor McDavid One Point Away From Olympic Record

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid sits one point away from breaking the Olympic scoring record heading into Canada's semifinal showdown with Finland. The 29-year-old tied the mark Wednesday with his 11th point during Canada's 4-3 overtime quarterfinal victory over Czechia at Milano Cortina 2026.

McDavid registered two assists against the Czechs to match the record held by Finnish legends Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu. Both players posted 11 points during Finland's silver medal performance at the 2006 Turin Olympics. The ironic twist sees McDavid positioned to break a Finnish record while facing Finland in Friday's 10:40 a.m. ET semifinal.

Record-Breaking Debut

The tournament represents McDavid's first Olympic appearance with NHL players after missing the 2018 and 2022 Games when the league did not participate. His immediate dominance showcases why he remains hockey's best player on the sport's biggest international stage.

McDavid compiled 2 goals and 9 assists through Canada's four tournament games. His playmaking ability created offense throughout Canada's lineup as he set up teammates consistently from the quarterfinals through preliminary play.

His nine assists tie him with Koivu for second-most in a single Olympic tournament behind only Koivu's combined eight from 1998 and 2006. McDavid already broke Jonathan Toews' Canadian record of eight points set during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Dominant Tournament Performance

McDavid became the first NHL player to record three consecutive three-point games at an Olympics. He registered three assists against Czechia in the opener before posting one goal and two assists in victories over both Switzerland and France.

The Oilers captain leads the tournament in scoring by two points over teammate Macklin Celebrini. The 19-year-old Sharks forward compiled nine points with five goals and four assists while playing alongside McDavid on Canada's top line.

Drew Doughty praised McDavid's exceptional play Thursday when discussing his teammate's historic performance. The Kings defenseman emphasized he has never witnessed anyone play at McDavid's current level despite his lengthy NHL career.

Semifinal Stakes

Canada faces defending Olympic champion Finland with a gold medal game berth on the line. The Finns captured gold in Beijing 2022 when NHL players did not participate. Finland reached the semifinals by defeating Switzerland 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday.

McDavid is expected to wear the captain's C in the semifinal clash against Finland. Despite suiting up for the practice session in the morning, Sidney Crosby was ruled out with a lower-body injury he sustained in the QFs against the Czechs.

Any point Friday pushes McDavid past Selanne and Koivu into sole possession of the Olympic record. Canada seeks its first gold medal with NHL players since 2014 in Sochi. The semifinal winner advances to Sunday's gold medal game at Santagiulia Arena.