With Stanley Cup within reach, Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers are ready to win

Sherry Bassin headed into the frigid arena alongside his dog, Newman, with one purpose.

The chatter around Connor McDavid — a prodigy making waves across the Greater Toronto Area — was already building.

A longtime Ontario Hockey League executive, Bassin and his four-legged scouting companion had to get an up-close look.

After two shifts, Newman tugged on the leash.

"He was telling me, 'Let's get out of here, we've seen enough,'" Bassin joked in an interview this week.

They stuck around for all three periods to watch the ultra-talented, baby-faced McDavid's magical feet and hands dazzle onlookers. The Newmarket, Ont., product had demonstrated long before the final buzzer there was something special happening.

And it wasn't just between the whistles.

"His will to prepare, his commitment to be as good as he can possibly be, has always been there," Bassin added. "He won't accept anything else."

McDavid went on to star in the OHL with Bassin's Erie Otters after he was granted exceptional status at age 15 before being made the slam-dunk No. 1 pick at the 2015 NHL draft by the Edmonton Oilers.

After nine roller-coaster professional seasons, the 27-year-old superstar now sits four wins from the sport's ultimate goal with his team set to open the Stanley Cup final Saturday against the Florida Panthers.

McDavid's path has been both straightforward and winding, especially since arriving in Alberta. Personal success — five scoring titles and three MVP nods top a long list of accolades — hasn't always matched team success.

The current campaign was no different. The Oilers, who made the Western Conference final in 2022 and the second round last spring, were a well-documented 3-9-1 in November when Kris Knoblauch took over as head