When an awkward Connor McDavid photo forced Oilers star to address his interaction with fans

Edmonton Oilers star player Connor McDavid found himself in an awkward situation back in May 2017 when a photo of him with two fans at an airport went viral.

The photo (left) showed McDavid sandwiched between two ecstatic fans who had their arms wrapped tightly around him. McDavid wears an uneasy smile in the snapshot that quickly spread across social media.

Speaking on the "Puck Soup" podcast on June 27, 2017, McDavid explained how the photo-op came about. According to McDavid, he had walked past the fans initially after arriving at the airport security line. The fans then called out for a photo which he obligingly agreed to.

"Both of them were hugging me," McDavid recounted.

"And sure enough, there was someone who had their phone ready to take a picture. They had already turned around and were ready for the picture and took the picture before I had even realized what was going on. The whole thing lasted seven seconds, and then I was out of there."

Connor McDavid's latest Airport photo: Fans react to another awkward moment caught on camera

Connor McDavid's latest airport photo is making the rounds on social media, showing yet another awkward candid moment caught on camera. As the Edmonton Oilers captain was heading to the airport for a team flight, a lucky family had the chance to snap some photos with the NHL superstar.

The resulting image shows an awkward McDavid next to a young boy.

Met the Oilers at the airport this morning byu/wrecte inEdmontonOilers

The photo was posted to Reddit by user "wrecte", who explained that their family was at the Edmonton airport on their way to Disney World when the Oilers came through. They couldn't pass up the opportunity to get some pictures with McDavid.

One fan commented:

"Oh my god it happened again."

Comment byu/wrecte from discussion inEdmontonOilers

Another fan wrote:

"He looks like a fisherman that’s been on the coast of Nova Scotia for the past 6 months," on reddit.

Here are some other fan reactions:

"Best playoff beard we've seen him have so far though not much more than he usually has," one fan wrote.

"Dude's got the next two weeks of hockey moves pre-planned running through his brain right now," another fan wrote.

"Me: A smile might be nice. CMD: Nothing to smile about in my life," a user wrote.

"I once ran into McDavid, who was with his family at a resort in Alberta. We both made eye contact, I gave him a nod, he gave one back and that was it," another fan wrote.

The incident highlighted the challenges that come with being a high-profile athlete in the public eye. While fans may have the best intentions, their enthusiasm can sometimes cross personal boundaries, leading to uncomfortable situations like the one... or more that McDavid has experienced.