The 2024 Stanley Cup Final has the potential to be magical, and it’s largely because of Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid.

McDavid is the greatest player of his era. He’s at or near the zenith of his powers, and in his ninth season, he’s finally competing for his first NHL championship.

The Florida Panthers are the only thing left between him and the Stanley Cup.

“This year you’ve got the best player in the game, a player that can do things that other people can’t, and you have a series that I don’t think anybody thinks is a short series,” ESPN analyst and former NHLer Ray Ferraro said. “It’s really important and really cool that Connor gets to play in his first final.”

McDavid going for his first title should have the same intrigue as LeBron James’ first appearance in the NBA Finals. McDavid is hockey’s LeBron in terms of making good on his phenom potential.

Yet for all of McDavid’s impressive resume and impeccable skills, it doesn’t seem to stack up. In fact, McDavid’s first trip to the final might not even compare in the United States to Wayne Gretzky or Sidney Crosby reaching that stage.

“With Gretzky, you had a smaller league and the aftermath of the World Hockey Association — and then the merger. With Sidney Crosby, he played for a franchise that was either No. 1 or No. 2 in terms of regional television audiences in the United States on an annual basis,” said Tom Mayenknecht, a sports business commentator and host of the Sports Market. “Then there was the almost Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa-type bouncing back from the lost season. Crosby was part of that context (with Alex Ovechkin). He was a big hope to get people past that.

“And LeBron James was basketball. He had high-school hype.”

Mayenknecht said McDavid is still the most recognizable player across the NHL.

Hardcore hockey fans will be watching him in the Stanley Cup Final, and the McDavid narrative should be enough to interest casual fans.

Will it, though?

As McDavid prepares to play for the championship, viewers who rarely watch hockey need to understand what makes him so special.

“For the casual hockey fan clicking around on this Saturday night or during the series, we have to do a good job of making sure we introduce Connor McDavid … and not just assume that everybody knows everything there is to know about Connor McDavid,” ESPN senior vice president of production and remote events Mark Gross said.

Aside from perhaps Crosby, McDavid was the most-hyped prospect in the sport since Eric Lindros. Though Lindros’ brute strength made him a man playing amongst boys, McDavid’s sublime talent put him several cuts above his junior hockey peers.

McDavid was touted as one of the most graceful and fastest skaters ever before he even entered the NHL.

There was never a question he’d be the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft. Teams tanked, and tanked hard, to secure the best odds to land him.

When the Oilers won the draft lottery, moving up two spots to leapfrog Buffalo and Arizona, then-Sabres GM Tim Murray couldn’t hide his disappointment that he missed out on the chance to select McDavid.

Murray’s emotions have turned out to be justified. McDavid won the scoring title and league MVP in his second season. He’s won five Art Ross and three Hart trophies in his nine seasons. He’s already one of the greatest players ever — and he’s backed it up in the postseason.

His 1.58 playoff points per game over his career is the best production rate of anyone not named Gretzky or Mario Lemieux — whose best years were in hockey’s most offensive era. The goal he scored in the clinching game of the Western Conference final, where he made one of the NHL’s best defensemen, Miro Heiskanen, look foolish, was a thing of beauty.

“That should be on everywhere there’s an NHL highlight,” Ferraro said. “In the NHL, there is one player that can score that goal. There’s one player. That’s it. It’s special.”

McDavid is like a god in Edmonton — one of his nicknames is McJesus — and he’s one of the most well-known people in Canada.

That applies in the United States, too, to some extent.

“Any hockey fan in the U.S. who follows hockey closely knows who Connor McDavid is already,” Oilers CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson said. “I’ve had the chance to sit at MSG or in Tampa or other places, and you watch the crowd. They all get on the edge of their seat when he touches the puck just like they do in Edmonton.”

But those attending games are mostly hockey fans and usually hardcore ones at that. McDavid’s appeal in the United States beyond those invested in the sport isn’t remotely the same.

That McDavid plays in Edmonton, one of the smallest markets and the most-northern-based team in North American pro sports, doesn’t help.

“There’s no question that if he was playing in an American market that he’d be an even bigger name among American hockey fans and American sports fans,” Mayenknecht said.

The NFL and NBA can overcome the small-market issue. Some of football’s biggest stars over the years, such as Brett Favre, Peyton Manning and Patrick Mahomes, spent their primes in small markets but were the most marketable and recognizable players among casual fans. LeBron got his start and eventually won an NBA championship in Cleveland, and that didn’t hurt his status one bit.

“The National Hockey League still has a lot of work to do, in partnership with the PA (players’ association) and with its broadcast rightsholders,” Mayenknecht said. “There’s a lot more that can be done in terms of individual player marketing. But the league is better now than it was 30 years ago … but it’s still fourth among the big four (leagues).”

McDavid is from Newmarket, Ontario, which is just north of Toronto, Canada’s biggest city and the country’s financial hub. Turn on a Canadian sports channel and you’re likely to see him during a commercial block promoting all sorts of products and services.

Jackson was McDavid’s agent from the time the hockey phenom was 15 until he took his job with the Oilers last August. The one cross-border endorsement deal he secured for his client was with BetMGM, ads that also feature Gretzky.

McDavid’s deal with sports apparel giant Adidas meant he was considered for a massive marketing campaign with the biggest stars from across the globe. Adidas went in a different direction.

“They were great to work with. They were a great partner for Connor,” Jackson said. “We just didn’t get the wider use out of it.”

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Like baseball, hockey fandom is more regional, Mayenknecht said. He points to McDavid being outside the top five in terms of athlete recognition index among NHLers this season, according to Fanatics.

No. 1 is rookie Connor Bedard, who plays in big-market Chicago.

“Because of residency, Connor Bedard has an opportunity to rise above McDavid’s status — especially if he becomes part of a competitive team, a contender,” Mayenknecht said.

Television ratings are up this postseason, and McDavid’s exploits undoubtedly play into that. The Oilers captain has 31 points in 18 games to lead all scorers. However, two-thirds of the viewers in Games 1 through 3 of the Oilers’ last series against Dallas were in Canada.

Canadian audiences will be tuned in to the final as McDavid and the Oilers try to break a 31-year Stanley Cup drought by a Canadian-based team.

But that might not be enough to entice Americans, and the Panthers don’t have the same reach or broad appeal as the New York Rangers, the team they eliminated in the last round.

ESPN, the carrier of this year’s final, broadcast 11 Oilers games this season — including two on the main network and one on ABC. The league has also made a concerted effort to get McDavid in the spotlight.

An all-access, six-part Amazon series was announced Thursday, which features McDavid as one of the key players. It’ll be released in the fall.

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NHL puts its stars front and center in Amazon docu-series set to debut in October

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McDavid is also scheduled to appear on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” and ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Friday.

“We’re not looking to do something and force something on somebody that they’re not comfortable doing,” Gross said.

“It seems like there’s a willingness (from McDavid) that there hasn’t been before,” NHL senior executive vice president and chief content officer Steve Mayer said. “He gets it. This is his moment.”

McDavid, who entered the league as a shy and introverted teenager, has tried to open up a bit.

“I feel like I’m more comfortable in these environments and speaking my mind on a couple things,” McDavid said. “That being said, I’m still not the most outspoken guy. When I feel my voice can contribute, I’m not afraid to share it.”

McDavid has been on rules committees and helped revise the skills competition at the All-Star Game. The way he was continuously outspoken about the need for a best-on-best international hockey tournament helped move the needle toward getting the 4 Nations Face-Off planned for February 2025 and players back in the next Winter Olympics.

He’s also been willing to joke around in a media setting, which was most notably on display earlier this season when he cracked that he didn’t want to score anymore after he went 10 games without a goal. (That the Oilers had turned their season around after being tied for last place in the standings in early November, and he had 23 assists during that span, probably put him in a more jovial mood.)

“If you think about the pressure that’s on a young man coming in with the spotlight he had as a teenager and adapting into the league, it’s just like anything in life — you need to grow into it and be comfortable with it,” Jackson said. “I don’t think Connor liked being labeled as a superstar. He has a high degree of respect for the game. He wanted to earn it.

“What I’ve seen over the last two or three years is he’s comfortable being the face of the league. He’s grown into the role, and he’s handled it extremely well, especially considering the pressure that’s on him.”

McDavid is still only willing to pull back the curtain so much, though. Don’t expect him to be like LeBron holding court to talk about gun policies and the like.

“The political side of things I leave to the experts,” McDavid said. “I have nothing really to add on that stuff. I know hockey, and I know hockey well. I try to stick with it.”

That’s not unique to McDavid. Plenty of athletes aren’t comfortable going on the record about controversial topics.

“He lives in a fishbowl,” Ferraro said. “Everything he does is going to be scrutinized 100 different ways from Tuesday.”

Mayenknecht has offered media training to a few hundred high-level athletes, including Olympians and NHLers. He said there’s nothing worse than someone trying to feign interest in an issue or put on a facade.

“You can’t force someone to be anything other than themselves,” Mayenknecht said. “One of the worst things that can be done is to take a mild-mannered personality and try to make them a standup comedian. That won’t work.

“Connor McDavid is not an activist athlete in the way LeBron James is, but I’d argue there’s stuff that can be done to make up for that and connect him to fans.”

For his part, McDavid isn’t preoccupied with how playing in the Stanley Cup Final can grow his brand or increase his stardom in the United States.

“I couldn’t care less about that,” he said with a laugh. “I want to be part of a group that wins. That’s all I want to do.”

Nothing drives McDavid more than wanting to win, according to those who know him best.

Now, he has a chance to win something he’s dreamed about for years. People should be tuning in, even if their fan allegiances aren’t with the Oilers.

“If you have no skin in the game, why are you going to watch?” Ferraro said. “McDavid is the hook because he’s the best player in the game.”

McDavid has always preferred to let his play on the ice speak for him. He’ll likely have something special in store in this series.

“For those fans who only see him in Instagram highlights or on ‘SportsCenter’ in the U.S., they’re going to appreciate the completeness of his game,” Jackson said. “He scores goals you shake your head at. But when you watch him live, you’ll see a player who competes extremely hard on every shift, plays good defense and wins puck battles that help you win.”

If he’s at his best, there’s a strong chance that’ll put the Oilers over the top. And if that happens, there’s no doubt he’ll become a bigger star in the United States.

“Casual sports fans are the ones who drive this train,” Mayenknecht said. “It’s not the hardcore. It’s when you get into converting and having awareness among casual fans, like Gretzky created in Los Angeles, that things turn around.

“Connor McDavid winning a Stanley Cup in 2024 will certainly make him that much more recognizable, that much more appreciated, in 2025 and beyond.”

— The Athletic’s Michael Russo contributed to this report.

(Top illustration: Daniel Goldfarb / The Athletic; photo: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)

Even in a game where Angel Reese was ejected, her impact was undeniable. The Chicago Sky rookie was tossed for picking up a second technical with just over two minutes remaining in Tuesday’s loss to the New York Liberty. Her second foul was rescinded a day later by the WNBA.

Nevertheless, Reese had already logged 13 points and 10 rebounds, recording her second double-double. It is the kind of statline Chicago has already come to expect from the No. 7 pick in April’s draft. Reese has been a consistent contributor over the first month of the WNBA season, but she isn’t alone among members of her rookie class.

From their final college seasons through the WNBA Draft to the start of their pro careers, these rookies have brought new star power and a fascinating dynamic to the league. They’re working out the kinks as they adjust to a higher level, but there’s no doubt they are delivering in meaningful ways.

Feeling the love, Skytown 💙 pic.twitter.com/nK2wIbN9lR

— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) May 26, 2024

Though it feels like the year has just started, somehow, someway, some franchises have already crossed the quarter mark of the season. With that, here’s our look at the five best rookies the first month of the season.

15.6 PPG | 6.4 APG | 5.1 RPG

Clark has been the center of attention during her first month in the WNBA, especially last week. But amid some struggles, she still has found ways to produce. She is aggressive attacking the basket, already attempting 48 free throws, which are the seventh most in the WNBA. She’s also impacted Indiana’s offense despite not hitting 3-pointers at nearly the same clip as she did at Iowa. Reese certainly has made a case for the No. 1 spot, but Clark also shoulders significantly more defensive pressure than any rookie. Her 25.8 percent usage rate is more than WNBA stars like Skylar Diggins-Smith, Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Plum and Sabrina Ionescu. She’s shown growing pains and reasons for optimism. A focus in June should be cutting down on turnovers, as Clark leads the league (56) and has 21 more than Phoenix Mercury guard Natasha Cloud, who is second.

2. Angel Reese, Chicago Sky

10.8 PPG | 9.0 RPG | 5.0 ORPG

At LSU, Reese recorded double-doubles on a near nightly basis. Thus far, she’s been pretty close to that. Entering Thursday night’s matchup against the Washington Mystics, Reese had recorded at least 8 points and 8 rebounds in six of her eight games..

Reese’s impact on Chicago has been tangible. She leads all rookies with 9 rebounds per game and leads all WNBA players with her average of 5 offensive rebounds per game. Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon, a Naismith Hall of Fame player, has taken a liking to what Reese provides, especially on the glass.

“It’s a knack,” Weatherspoon said two weeks ago. “She’s just relentless. She does a relentless pursuit for the ball and that’s who she is, that’s what she’s about.”

Reese frequently establishes high-quality rebounding position and is aggressive in attacking the rim if she isn’t boxed out by opposing bigs. On offense, she also has already shown she’s unafraid of contact, attempting at least six free throws in six separate games.

Reese’s impact has been evident despite other limitations in her game, making her first month especially impressive.

So far, almost all of her offense has come around the rim. She’s attempted only nine jump shots this season, according to Synergy Sports, making just one. Even around the basket, she has struggled, shooting 29.9 percent. Yet, minimizing Reese’s importance is a focus for Sky opponents.

Improving her perimeter shooting and ability to finish around the hoop will be paramount to her growth. Chicago guard Marina Mabrey has also assisted Reese on only six baskets, an indication there is room for improvement in Chicago’s pick-and-roll action. But if this is Reese’s floor, the Sky have plenty of reasons to be optimistic about their future.

8.0 PPG | 5.4 RPG | 2.6 BPG

Brink, like Reese and Clark, has shown flashes of the skills that made her a star at Stanford. Although the Sparks are just 2-7, Brink scored a career-high 21 points in 23 minutes against the Dallas Wings on May 26, and she tallied at least 5 rebounds six times. Coach Curt Miller hasn’t stretched the No. 2 pick’s usage. Brink has yet to play more than 30 minutes in a game but she’s displayed her offensive repertoire. She’s been solid on catch-and-shoot opportunities and looks comfortable around the rim, shooting 63 percent from the field, according to Synergy Sports. Though Brink developed a reputation as a vaunted shot-blocker in college (and is averaging 2.6 blocks per game so far), some opposing bigs have succeeded going up against her. Brink allows bigs she’s guarding to shoot 43.9 percent.

Despite rather limited minutes, Rickea Jackson’s 3-point shooting and rebounding have stood out. (Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)

9.1 PPG | 3.0 RPG | 46.7 FG

Jackson has played the fewest minutes (208) of anyone in my current top five, but she’s taken advantage of her opportunities. She’s tied for the third most 3-pointers (seven) by rookies, but she’s shooting the second-best percentage of any rookie with at least 10 attempts (only Alissa Pili is better). She’s been a solid rebounder (3.0 per game) and proven she can score in different facets. Sometimes that has taken the form of being aggressive in transition, other times from behind the arc or slashing to the rim. She’s made at least 50 percent of her shot attempts in five of nine games, though done so only once since being inserted into the starting lineup on May 28.

6.6 PPG | 5.0 APG | 2.6 RPG

Uzun is making her WNBA debut this summer, but she is no stranger to playing with — and against — some of the world’s best competition. The 26-year-old guard spent last winter playing for EuroLeague champion Turkish club Fenerbahçe, where she played alongside notables like Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, Natasha Howard, Nina Milic and Emma Meesseman. Uzun made the Wings’ opening night roster after signing a training camp contract and was thrust into the franchise’s starting lineup.

Right away, she’s been trusted to draw the best out of a team with top-four aspirations. Uzun is averaging 31.3 minutes per game, the second most on the roster and the second most among rookies behind Clark. Though she’s continuing to figure out how to play alongside Arike Ogunbowale, the early returns are positive. Twelve of Uzun’s 40 assists have been to Ogunbowale, and she has also found Dallas bigs Teaira McCowan and Monique Billings on multiple occasions. In addition to her offensive playmaking, the 5-foot-10 Uzun has been an excellent defender so far, with opponents shooting only 28.6 percent on shots she’s guarding, according to Synergy Sports.

🇹🇷Dün gece yine ilk 5 başlayan ve 26:24 dakika saha kalan milli oyuncumuz Sevgi Uzun, karşılaşmayı 4 sayı (1-8 FG, 2-2 FT), 2 ribaund, 4 asist ve 1 top çalma ile tamamladı.pic.twitter.com/FH2dwrQ6II https://t.co/QnJHxul5Ml

— Women Hoops (@womenhoop) June 6, 2024

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She plays with fearlessness on both ends. Exhibit A: It didn’t go down, but she nearly made the shot of the year when she threw an inbounds off Sun center Brionna Jones with less than 10 seconds remaining in a one-point game, collected her own pass, and shot it.

Others considered: Julie Vanloo ( Mystics), Pili (Lynx), Aaliyah Edwards (Mystics), Kate Martin (Las Vegas Aces)

(Top photos of Caitlin Clark, left, and Angel Reese: Jeff Haynes / NBAE via Getty Images)

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have been the future of men’s tennis for a little while already.

Their first meeting, at the Paris Masters in October 2021, gave a glimpse into the highlight-reel tennis the pair produce when sharing a court.

The following year, there was a hugely exciting match in the Wimbledon round of 16 that caught the eye of the casual tennis watcher, followed by an entertaining final in Umag, Croatia, and then the late night/early morning barnstormer at the U.S. Open that announced their brand of tennis as the next great thing at the top of the sport. Then came the seminal Miami Open semifinal in 2023, then another classic in Indian Wells in 2024.

They did all this in long shadows. First two, and then increasingly one — those of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Even as they won their first Grand Slam titles, Alcaraz two and Sinner one, both beating Djokovic along the way, the mythos created by 20 years of domination hung over them.

As they stepped on to the red clay of Roland Garros on Friday, that mythos had lifted. And in a see-saw French Open semi-final that Alcaraz edged in five sets to reach the French Open final, it was he who moved a step ahead of his opponent in what is looking like being a similarly see-saw rivalry.

With Djokovic expected to miss at least Wimbledon following knee surgery, suddenly this is not just a rivalry in men’s tennis, but the rivalry in men’s tennis. They are the two best (fit) players by a distance, with Sinner to be anointed as world No 1 in mere days and Alcaraz on the heels of the stricken Djokovic, ready to overtake him as world No 2.

This is one of those tennis quirks: the match that feels like a final but isn’t one, because of the way the draw has panned out. On the other side of the draw, Casper Ruud faces Alexander Zverev — Ruud, a two-time French Open finalist and Zverev, the form player in the last few months — but Sinner and Alcaraz have been operating at a different level the last year or so (longer, in Alcaraz’s case).

It’s early days in the rivalry, but there are a few things to assess already. It should be close, with both men winning four of their first eight matches against one another, before Alcaraz triumphed 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 at Roland Garros to move into the French Open final.

This is not like the early stages of the Roger Federer-Nadal rivalry, which began with the latter winning six of their first seven encounters, or the one going on between two of the best women’s players in the world, with Iga Swiatek leading Coco Gauff 11-1 in their head-to-head.

Carlos Alcaraz prevailed to move 5-4 up in the head-to-head. (Tim Goode / Getty Images)

Nor does there appear to be a surface issue for either player against the other. Alcaraz has wins on indoor and outdoor hard, Sinner on outdoor hard, grass and clay. But they’ve only met once on those latter two surfaces and Alcaraz became Wimbledon champion in 2023 after four matches at SW19 the year prior, and also won at Queen’s. The clay rivalry, too, should be close if Alcaraz can emulate what he did on the slow hard courts Indian Wells, using his ability to vary spin, speed, and depth to throw Sinner off the metronomic, bludgeoning consistency that is a hallmark of his baseline tennis.

This was, ultimately, how things played out on Friday, with Alcaraz’s win making it one victory apiece on clay. Sinner led by two sets to one, but some mesmerising lobs and drop shots, coupled with impossible-looking winners from the baseline, eventually swung the match in Alcaraz’s favour.

The closeness in their head-to-head is mirrored by the closeness of their relationship. They are not best friends off the court — few tennis players are with one another — but they get on very well and love playing against each other. How long that will endure as they face off over time and the stakes get higher is another question, and it was interesting to see the differing dynamics pre-match on Friday compared to how friendly they were together while waiting to enter the court for that Indian Wells semifinal.

On that occasion they greeted each other as if meeting at a cocktail party; on Friday in the tunnel before going on Chatrier, the mood was altogether different. There was a handshake, followed by as serious an expression as you get from Alcaraz, and then both men found their own space and started going through their routines.

This was strictly business. Previously, there’s been an almost exhibition feeling to some of their encounters.

Carlos Alcaraz applauded his rival off after the match. (Tim Goode / Getty Images)

After that first meeting at the Paris Masters, a defeated Sinner said to Alcaraz: “I hope we play a couple more times.” A beaming Alcaraz responded: “Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.”

Something happens when they play each other — there’s an electricity and a chemistry that sees both players raise the other’s game. In the Indian Wells semifinal in March, there was a sweet moment when after a mind-bending rally that Sinner somehow won, the pair looked at each other and laughed. It was as if they were saying, “Would you look at what we just did?” It, and other on-court interactions the pair have had, give off the feeling you sometimes get in life when meeting a kindred spirit. Wait, you like that band too? You support that team as well? You can also sprint at full pelt and then somehow flick away an angled crosscourt forehand?

“I am quite fast already, and he is much faster than me,” Sinner has said of Alcaraz, sounding like someone who is excited to have finally met their match.

This mutual improvement was a hallmark of the Federer-Nadal-Djokovic triumvirate. Nadal dominated Federer, so Federer figured out how to beat him. Nadal figured out grass. Djokovic figured out clay. Their finals, some of the greatest matches men’s tennis has ever seen, demonstrated this in real time, forcing each other to even greater heights and creating a closed-loop training camp that took them further and further away from the field below.

Time will tell if the rivalry takes each player to greater heights (Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)

Who knows whether Alcaraz and Sinner retain their fondness for one another if the rivalry becomes less even, either in the head-to-head or in the number of Grand Slams won, or both.

They seem to genuinely enjoy the way the other raises their game. This is not like Federer admitting in the 2018 documentary Strokes of Genius that, rather than welcoming the threat Nadal posed when he burst onto the scene, he was much happier winning major titles pretty much unopposed, thank you very much.

It’s hard to see either Sinner or Alcaraz streaking away from the other and there are cases to be made for either having the upper hand. Alcaraz is better at changing things up to suit the surface, whereas Sinner typically plays his own game and makes the surface almost irrelevant. This works almost all of the time against pretty much everyone, apart from Alcaraz and Djokovic, and it didn’t work all that well in Paris, with Alcaraz’s greater variety making the difference.

In Sinner’s favour is his momentum, which although checked, has taken him past Alcaraz to claim the No. 1 spot, as of Monday, as Alcaraz predicted would happen back in November at the ATP Finals, where Sinner reached the final. But now Alcaraz is the one into another Grand Slam final, on course to have won three of the four with Sinner on one.

It’s tempting to try and say that Friday’s match was somehow definitive or hugely revealing, but that would be a stretch.

Sinner won more total points in the match, but Alcaraz stepped up when it mattered. We’re going to need a much bigger sample size to predict where this rivalry might end up, and there’s a level of pressure that comes with being the flag-bearing rivalry for a sport, as Alcaraz and Sinner suddenly are.

At times on Friday they hit the heights expected; at others there was understandable tension — shown most clearly in the cramps afflicting Sinner in the third set, which Alcaraz said afflicted him too.

Alcaraz said before Friday’s meeting that “it’s the match everybody wants to watch.”

As Djokovic recuperates, it promises to be this way for a while longer.

(Top photo: Dan Istitene / Getty Images)