PRE-RAW | Evander Kane, Connor McDavid 06.10.24

Evander um do you expect to play in tonight's game and how are you doing managing um you know obviously you've talked about the injury that you're going through how you feel you're doing kind of managing that through this long playoff run um yeah I I think uh I'm going to be playing tonight um you know it's a s Cup Final so uh I think everybody's geared up and ready to play and um there's lots of guys going through different things so um I'm excited about tonight's game and and uh responding uh from one third row left Derek hey Connor um Chris has made some pretty tough calls throughout the playoffs with guys in and out of the lineup I just it looks like you're making another one today with Cody coming out I just wanted your thought on on the depth of this team and and the fact that there are guys challenging to come in and out of the lineup and and it looks like it it works out for the most part yeah I mean I've said it before we got great depth um you know we've got 16 17 NHL player or NHL forwards and you know probably eight NHL dmen so um you know there's going to be lineup changes Chris has made uh and the coaching staff have made some uh some uh different decisions along the way and and everybody's done a great job of stepping in and and uh and contributing and guys who have have gone out have uh stayed ready and and uh and jump back in and and help just the same so um we got great depth and and um it's unfortunate that guys have to um not play some games but um you know everybody's pulling on the rope here every everybody understands uh you know where we're at and and um yeah front row right Kevin uh Conor the Max celebrini and some of the other top prospects are here I wonder if you can recall your tour after the combine coming to the Stanley Cup Final what was that what was that like and have you met these guys yet yeah really fun um yeah I was in Chicago um you know the Chicago Tampa Bay final um can't remember which game but um yeah it was really cool just getting a chance to meet some of the meet some of the guys we met Kane and Taves and and and all those guys so um we just chatted with them a little bit before jumping in here so um seemed like uh some great kids um they said they had fun at the combine which we were surprised at but um but um but yeah no they'll uh it's an exciting time for everybody for for those kids any advice like going into the draft um well it doesn't really matter where you're picked um ultimately it doesn't matter you're first or you know those kids only be in the top five but um doesn't really matter where you're drafted that's kind of just the start second row left Josh Connor I want to know what what George Mumford means to you and to this group yeah he's been great for our group um you know he was brought in for this reason to to help in these moments in these big moments um and he's done a great job of um you know being there for guys um you know talking about you know the mindset in these in these pressure situations um and I think our guys have done a great job of playing in these big moments um and he's been a big part of that front row left Mark Vander uh hockey history is filled with guys who play you know courageously through injuries Paul Maurice talked about kachuk playing with a busted sternum last year how do you you're doing that now I mean you're playing through an injury how do you balance playing hurt helping your team at this time of year but not being a guy who can't perform because of the injury um you know I I forget there was a sports commentator that was talking uh a few years ago and it always stuck out to me you know if you're on the field uh you know nobody expects you to be uh you know everybody expects you to be yourself essentially so if you if you dress you know they expect you to perform like you know you're at your best so um obviously you know there's reality and and um but at the same time I think as an athlete that's what you expect from yourself um so you know I expect to uh contribute the way I know I can and um you know I'm looking forward to having another opportunity tonight to do that stay in the same row Pierre Connor I wonder if you could talk about your relationship with Glenn gullon who's now working with his fifth different head coach uh sort of a glue guy with all these changes over the years and of course you've been there the whole time the power play you know what it seems like you guys have a pretty strong bond um yeah I got a great relationship with Gully um you know he's been uh the coach I've worked work with the longest um you know throughout my my time in the NHL um almost in my career now um you know been with him for a long time and uh we've been through a lot a lot together just like um you know the players have um you know and he's been great with the power play um you know obviously it speaks for itself but you know he's making sure that everybody's prepared knows what uh you know their role is on the power play and their job is and um you know he's very prepared he's great at what he does um he's a great coach and we're lucky to have him here standing on the left Chris Connor obviously these series get so hyped up and and everything from our end of things did you feel more pressure in game one like how how what was the actual experience like to to play a game like that um maybe initially maybe initially the first little while but um ultimately it's just it's just the same old game um you know and even um you know even today feels a little bit more normal than than than the other day so um once we get into the playing hockey side of things um it's just uh that's what we do that's what we do best that's what we love to do and um that's when things get more normal