NHL star tries to explain bizarre ketchup 'phobia'

Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com.

NHL star Connor McDavid peeled back the curtain on his "phobia" of ketchup on Saturday night following the Edmonton Oilers' 3-2 loss to the Calgary Flames.

McDavid appeared on Sportsnet’s "After Hours" program after a one-goal game against the Flames. A fan question came into the broadcast and asked how McDavid is able to manage his extreme dislike of the condiment on the road.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) skates against the Calgary Flames during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome on Dec. 27, 2025. (Sergei Belski/Imagn Images)

He said his teammates knew to keep it far away from him.

McDavid was then asked how the issue developed, and he stated that it just happened during his childhood.

"Honestly, you know, it stems from childhood, "McDavid said. "My brother’s the same way. Not sure where it came from. I’m gonna blame it on him. He’s worse than I am. I learned off him, so take it up with him."

ISLANDERS' RETALIATION SPARKS MAYHEM DURING LOSS TO BLUE JACKETS

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) waits for play to resume during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in St. Paul, Minnesota. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

He couldn’t name one thing he liked about it.

"I don’t know what it is," he said. "The texture, it’s the look of it, it’s everything. . . . I think it’s a phobia, yeah."

McDavid’s wife, Lauren, first revealed the player’s issue with ketchup during Amazon’s "FACEOFF: Inside the NHL." He was adamant last year that it was just something that he and his brother grew up with.

Edmonton Oilers' Connor