Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl Join Casual Summer Skate at Magna Centre, Offering Fans a Glimpse of Hockey’s Elite Relaxed
Even in the quiet of the offseason, the presence of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl has a way of commanding attention. This past Wednesday, the Edmonton Oilers’ superstar duo laced up their skates not under the bright lights of Rogers Place, but rather under the low-key fluorescence of the Magna Centre in Newmarket, Ontario. It wasn’t a game with points on the line, no national broadcasts, and no coaching staff pacing behind the bench. Just a casual pickup skate, a friendly run of shinny, where the top two players in hockey showed up for no reason other than the sheer joy of playing.
The session wasn’t advertised, nor was it part of any formal league or training camp. A handful of other professional players, junior prospects, and local high-end amateurs had organized a summer skate—something that’s fairly common across Canadian communities with solid rinks and good connections. What no one expected, however, was for McDavid and Draisaitl to make an appearance.
Word spread slowly through the players’ group chat earlier that day: “McDavid’s in town. He might show.” Then came, “Leon too.” Still, for most, it wasn’t real until the two NHL megastars walked in, gear bags in tow, and quietly began taping their sticks like everyone else. No entourage. No media. Just two hockey players blending into a building where hundreds of kids learn the game every year.
Spectators were few. A couple of parents watching their kids in adjacent rinks peeked in, jaws visibly dropping when they realized who was on the ice. A handful of trainers and summer athletes lingered just long enough to catch glimpses of the sport played at a level few ever witness from ice level. But for the most part, the stars went about their business unbothered.
McDavid and Draisaitl weren’t playing at full tilt, and they weren’t trying to put on a show. But even in second gear, their talent was obvious. McDavid’s gliding speed through the neutral zone, his rapid directional changes, and the near-telepathic connection he has with the puck left even fellow professionals shaking their heads. Draisaitl, as usual, controlled the pace of play with his elite passing vision and deceptive release. One local junior defenseman described trying to cover him as “like trying to defend gravity—you know it’s there, but there’s nothing you can do about it.”
What stood out most wasn’t the speed or the snipes or even the highlight-reel goals that slipped in here and there—it was the joy. The laughter. The simplicity of a skate without consequences. At one point, McDavid stopped mid-rush to chirp a goalie who had robbed him with a glove save. Draisaitl skated over to pat the netminder on the helmet with a grin.
These are the kinds of moments that rarely make headlines but say everything about why these players are great—not just because of what they do on game night, but because of how much they love the game when no one’s watching.
The timing of the skate is notable too. Both McDavid and Draisaitl are coming off an emotionally and physically exhausting playoff run that brought the Oilers to the brink of glory. A few bounces in the Final and the outcome could have been different. Some stars might retreat entirely in the offseason—disappear to private islands, rest and recover behind closed doors. Instead, Edmonton’s two most important players were out on a public rink, sharing the ice with rising players and unknown hopefuls, still chasing the puck like kids on a Saturday morning.
It’s no secret that McDavid’s offseason training regimen is among the most intense in the NHL. He has a team of specialists in Toronto, works religiously on edge control, explosiveness, and puck handling. But this wasn’t that. This was for fun. And if you’re an Oilers fan—or even just a fan of the game—it’s a moment that makes you smile. The game hasn’t become a chore for these two. The passion is still there.
For Draisaitl, the skate may have even carried subtle weight. Entering a contract year with significant attention on his future, his every move will be analyzed. But if there was pressure on his shoulders, it wasn’t visible. He looked relaxed, sharp, and completely at home. His presence at a small-town rink in the GTA also suggests something personal—a return to hockey roots, to the quiet environment where focus sharpens, away from the media speculation and contract chatter.
Local skaters lucky enough to share the ice with them couldn’t believe it. One junior-aged winger said afterward, “It was surreal. They didn’t come in like stars—they came in like teammates. You’d never guess they’re two of the best in the world. They just love being out there.”
Pickup skates like this one often go unnoticed, but they serve a unique role in the rhythm of the offseason. They’re part conditioning, part community, part therapy. There’s no coaching, no post-game interviews, and no expectations. It’s hockey at its most stripped down. And for McDavid and Draisaitl, that simplicity may be exactly what they need before ramping back up for another marathon season.
Fans who later caught wind of the skate through whispers and social posts were understandably envious. A grainy video clip surfaced later in the evening, showing McDavid gliding past defenders before slipping a backhand through the goalie’s legs. It was viewed thousands of times within hours. In the comments, Oilers fans joked, “Even in a beer league building, Connor’s in midseason form,” and “Imagine getting walked by McDavid and still having to work a 9-to-5 tomorrow.”
Despite the relaxed setting, the skate indirectly reignited excitement among fans about the upcoming NHL season. After falling just short of a championship, expectations in Edmonton have never been higher. The fact that their stars are already skating, staying sharp, and—most importantly—still enjoying the game speaks volumes about the team’s internal drive.
It also offered a rare window into the personalities of two athletes often seen only through the lens of competition. Off the ice, both McDavid and Draisaitl are notoriously private. They don’t make a habit of putting themselves in the spotlight unless it’s for team-related duties. But when you see them in this kind of setting—shoulder-checking before a backhand pass, laughing as they hop over the boards for a shift—it reminds you that underneath all the accolades, they’re still just hockey guys at heart.
The Magna Centre has seen its share of talent pass through over the years. It’s a frequent training ground for OHL players, NHL prospects, and those grinding their way through junior and collegiate systems. But even so, a mid-July skate featuring two of the world’s top five players is rare. One longtime facility staff member said he’s never seen anything like it. “I’ve been working here ten years,” he said. “We’ve had some pros, yeah. But nothing like this. The best in the game, just here, skating like it’s no big deal. It was incredible.”
As the offseason rolls on, these casual appearances might become more frequent—or they might not happen again at all. That’s the nature of summer hockey. It’s spontaneous, fleeting, and intimate. But for those who were there at the Magna Centre this week, it was a moment that perfectly captured what makes the sport so special.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl didn’t need to be there. They weren’t getting paid, promoted, or filmed. They were just skating. Just playing. Just enjoying hockey the way everyone first falls in love with it. And in doing so, they reminded everyone lucky enough to watch that even the best in the world still find their peace in the sound of blades on ice.
