Did Oilers' McDavid Overreact To Helleson And Ducks Incident?

Perry Nelson-Imagn ImagesPerry Nelson-Imagn ImagesNov 7, 2026 6:00 PMPublished Nov 7, 2026 6:00 PMEdmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid wasn't too pleased about the hit he took into the net from Anaheim Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson. But is McDavid's response a bit of an overreaction?For the most part, in his Hockey Hall of Fame-level career, Edmonton Oilers superstar center Connor McDavid has been a cool, calm, unflappable icon. So it’s rare to see him get angry – at least, not outside of the Oilers’ dressing room.So it was a little out of character to see McDavid going off on Anaheim Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson after he drove McDavid into the Ducks’ net. McDavid stayed down on the ice briefly, and when he got up, it was clear that he was upset with Helleson. And his post-game comments confirmed it.“Obviously, it’s a play that is a little sensitive to me,” McDavid said after Thursday's game. “Those are plays that I’ve been really, really hurt on before. Going into the end wall, going into the net…Those type of plays I find to be dangerous. Obviously, I didn’t love it.” Now, we’ve seen plenty of hyper-aggressive players target the opposition with over-the-top acts that seriously injure an NHLer. But this wasn’t a particularly egregious act on Helleson’s part, looking back at the footage. McDavid's feelings on the matter are respected, but this case could’ve been an overreaction.Related storiesCertainly, nobody other than a handful of players at the very top of the NHL mountain can understand exactly how tough it is to be the biggest focus in every other market in the league. And being the target constantly can probably wear you down. So we can definitely understand McDavid lashing out after another frustrating hit from the opposition. But that doesn’t make him correct.Indeed, some of the scariest hits in the league these days come from the speed of the players. When McDavid – one of the best skaters in the sport – is out there flying around, any significant hit is going to be made worse by the velocity at which it happens.Obviously, McDavid has every right to his opinions, and we don’t want to shut that down. But there’s not going to be any supplemental discipline for Helleson. That type of hit happens almost every day in the NHL.You always want to heed the words of your best player. But in McDavid’s case, there’s just not a preponderance of evidence that Helleson is intending to injure McDavid. Helleson doesn’t leap at McDavid, and he doesn’t attack him before or after the hit. It’s fairly straightforward, and although McDavid is well within his rights to speak out about the hit, this is one of those ‘no harm, no foul’ situations. It will bubble for a bit in the press, and it’ll die out within a week or two.Nobody wants McDavid or any NHLer to have their career ended by predator play. But McDavid must at least consider the possibility that the Helleson hit was fair. And if he can do that, the next time he’s hit in a truly illegal way, he won’t have to worry about fans and media arguing that this is something he does all the time. So, once McDavid cools down, this situation will fade away.