Oilers' GM Stan Bowman speaks out on Connor McDavid's 'mission' for maiden Stanley Cup - "This is his singular focus"

Connor McDavid is a man on a mission.

The best hockey player in the world has accomplished just about everything humanly possible in his career. That is, except for the trophy that he wants more than anything else, the Stanley Cup.

Last year, McDavid and the Oilers came so close that they could taste it, but ultimately saw their dreams slip away in a heartbreaking 2-1 Game 7 loss in Florida. Little did we know that one year later, Edmonton and Florida would meet again in the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals.

Connor McDavid is seeking redemption this time around, and his general manager is well aware of how much this means to him. Stan Bowman spoke to the media on Tuesday about his captain's drive to win the cup.

The Edmonton Oilers shared the full availability on YouTube:

"Well, the first time I talked to Connor, I went to see him in the summer after I started, and all he talked about was, I just want to win the cup. That was it. Didn't talk about anything else. So his focus is, this is his singular focus, like he's accomplished everything he could accomplish individually in this sport. He continues to dazzle us.

You know, every game, every round, makes a difference, incredibly motivated and driven to win. Like, I can't think of, you run out of superlatives to talk about him as a player and describe what he does on the ice," Bowman said.

"I think the thing that's equally impressive is the way he is, you know, driving our team with his determination. And you know, there's no one else you want to go to battle with than someone like that. He's our leader. Not only is he impressive with what he can do on the ice, but his focus and driving us. So you could see how bad he wanted it last year when it didn't go Edmonton's way in Game 7. And right now, he's on a mission.

"You know, I think as much as you get excited when you win, I think I've noticed that from even the first round, second round, even in Dallas, he's still very focused on, We need four more wins," Bowman added.

Connor McDavid leads the playoffs in scoring with 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) in just 16 games thus far.

Connor McDavid was back at practice on Tuesday

After a brief scare as the result of Connor McDavid leaving Sunday's practice early, the superstar returned to the ice on Tuesday, much to the delight of Oilers fans.

Sportsnet shared a clip of him looking like his usual self on the ice on X (formerly Twitter).

McDavid's only focus is on Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Oilers and Panthers on Wednesday night in Edmonton. The puck drops at 8:00 p.m. EST at Rogers Place.