Retired NHLer Pat Maroon gets 100% honest about Connor McDavid's lethal skating speed

Pat Maroon spoke about Connor McDavid’s skating speed during the "NHL on TNT" broadcast on Monday. Maroon retired from the NHL after 14 seasons in the League. He played with McDavid in Edmonton from 2015-16 to 2017-18.

Answering a question from Anson Carter, Maron said McDavid’s speed feels unreal on the ice. He said it’s like playing a video game with McDavid.

"He is. I mean, it's like playing Xbox," Maroon said. "You get to play with him, and you're just like, "Man, this guy's fast." But up close like that, it's pretty impressive. He can go from a flat start to right there and get up to speed and get a speed burst going."

Connor McDavid had the primary assist on Evander Kane’s goal in Game 4. The Oilers beat the Golden Knights 3-0. McDavid now has points in eight straight playoff games. He also had a goal and an assist in Game 3, a 4-3 loss to Vegas.

Maroon also said defenders can’t give McDavid time and space or he’ll make quick plays that are hard to stop.

"McDavid is obviously the best player in the league right now, and you can't give him that much time and space—especially when a D is trying to pinch," Maroon said. "He's going to make those quick instinct plays that are going to catch you guys kind of off guard.

"So, I mean, we all see it. He's the fastest player in the league, I think. And the way you see it up close is what you see on TV, too. He's always got that fire in his game, where he's always going to keep flying.

Responding to Maroon's answer, Carter said:

"The change of direction, too—that makes him so dangerous."

So far in the 2024-25 playoffs, Connor McDavid has 17 points in 10 games. He has three goals and 14 assists. In the regular season, McDavid finished with 26 goals and 74 assists for 100 points. He ranked sixth in league scoring.

Connor McDavid's speed record in the NHL

Connor McDavid also won the NHL Fastest Skater competition three times. His fastest time was 13.310 seconds. Sportsnet tracked his top skating speed at 40.9 kilometers an hour, or 25.4 miles per hour. That’s faster than the speed limit in most school zones.

McDavid’s speed, quick thinking, and passing continue to help the Oilers in key moments. Last season, McDavid helped the Oilers reach Stanley Cup finals Game 7 but they lost 2-1. Now, this year they want to reach the finals and complete their goal of winning the Stanley Cup.