Faceoff: Inside the NHL - A Closer Look at the Stars

Faceoff: Inside the NHL – Documenting the Stars

EDMONTON – Connor McDavid is not one to show off his personality. Openly introverted, the captain of the Edmonton Oilers speaks primarily through his extraordinary hockey talent. But all that is set to change in the latest episode of Faceoff: Inside the NHL, launching this Friday exclusively on Prime Video in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Following a 4-1 defeat to the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, McDavid erupts in the locker room, labeling the collective effort as insufficient and urging his teammates to step up their game. It is a side of the NHL's best player that fans won’t see anywhere else.

“Do I yell every night in the locker room? No,” McDavid told NHL.com. “Do I choose my moments when my voice is important? Yes. And in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, in a crucial match where we weren’t at our best, I felt it was an important moment.” This might be the most striking moment of the six-episode series produced by Box to Box and NHL Productions, but it certainly isn’t the only captivating instance to keep fans engaged.

The series kicks off by diving into the friendship between Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander and Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak, as their teams clash in the first round of the playoffs. Teammates of McDavid, including Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman, as well as players like Nashville Predators’ Filip Forsberg, Vegas Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel, Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman, Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes, New York Rangers’ Jacob Trouba, Colorado Avalanche’s Gabriel Landeskog, and Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk, also highlight the series.

“It’s really enjoyable watching other sports shows,” Nylander remarked. “Growing up, I watched documentaries that followed NHL hockey, and I always wanted to see the players outside the arena. That's one reason I wanted to get involved in this project. It’s really great to showcase this side of hockey.”

Faceoff: Inside the NHL takes fans into the locker rooms, player lounges, and other areas frequented throughout the 2023-24 season.

“What we want is to take the fans into the locker room and show them the real emotions,” McDavid stated. “It’s hard to stand in front of 25 media members and maintain that same level of emotion. Sometimes there isn’t much to see at press conferences, so I think the show really transports the fans into the locker room to experience these intense moments in a raw way. That’s something they’re going to love.”

Among the other highlights of the series are the Tkachuk family enjoying a day off in Florida, Nylander and Pastrnak discussing the upcoming series over a meal, and Forsberg dealing with an ankle injury during the playoffs while he and his wife await the arrival of their child.

“You’re going to see hockey players and the human side,” McDavid added. “You’ll see joy on one side and despair on the other. You’ll see the time and effort players put in outside of the ice, and I believe you’ll witness that through all the players who are part of the series. I hope it’s worth it. It’s not always easy to let the media into our lives during some of these moments.”