McDavid: 'It sucks' not being able to face Maple Leafs in Toronto
Connor McDavid isn't happy that his broken clavicle will keep him from playing in his hometown for the first time as an NHL player Monday night.
"Obviously this one hurts a lot," McDavid told reporters in Toronto, according to Stephen Whyno of The Canadian Press.
"You want to play here in your hometown. I was definitely looking forward to this one, for sure. It sucks, but it is what it is. Maybe (I'll be able to play here) for the World Cup. We'll see."
The Edmonton Oilers are in town to face the Maple Leafs on the final stop of a five-game road trip.
The Oilers confirmed Saturday that McDavid, a native of nearby Newmarket, Ontario, is ahead of schedule in his recovery, but general manager Peter Chiarelli didn't have a firm timetable for the No. 1 overall pick's return.
"Obviously it's healing well," McDavid said Monday. "It's kind of the long run where it feels good and you want to start doing everything, but at the end of the day you've still got to let it heal."
Edmonton is 3-6-2 in the 11 games since McDavid suffered the injury in a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 3.
He had five goals and seven assists in his first 13 contests.
The World Cup of Hockey begins Sept. 17, 2016, at the Air Canada Centre.