Being born in Ontario, you can hardly keep yourself away from the towering presence of the Edmonton Oilers. And that’s exactly how the childhood of Sam Bennett was: full of the Oilers. Later, playing for the Calgary Flames, we’d wager that the influence only grew. And now, as the hockey center preps for the third straight Stanley Cup Finals, he will again have an Oilers connection shadow hovering overhead.

Sam Bennett and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid were teammates during their Simcoe-York and Toronto Marlboros days. “He’s always had an extra gear,” Bennett later recalled how he always knew, even then, that McDavid was destined for greatness. And now, as the two wait to cross paths on the grandest stage for the second time in two years, that old camaraderie has once again come to the forefront.

In a YouTube upload by the official NHL Network account from June 3, Bennett could be heard talking to E.J. Hradek about what it was like playing with McDavid with mini sticks. “We were just kids, really, playing hockey, playing the game we love,” Sam said with candor. He went on to say how the two had a great link-up that always benefited their hockey.

“He was, or I was, on his line every single game. So there was a lot of me sitting back door and him setting me up,” Bennett said further on how McDavid’s assist skills were already top notch even while playing in the youth league. “We had a lot of fun growing up together,” the Florida Panthers star said with a smile on his face, as if he could almost visualize all those pucks McDavid set up for him to send to the back of the opponents’ nets.

Thankfully, though, the two got to relive those old Simcoe-York days once again last February. During the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, Sam Bennett and Connor McDavid once again donned the same stripes in a bid to subdue the USA, Finland, and Sweden. “You know, we were friends such a long time ago. And we were rivals for so long. It was definitely nice to grow that, or rekindle that friendship, I guess, that maybe we’d lost over the years. So it was certainly nice to get to play with him,” Bennett said, on how it was nice to share the locker room together again. With the duo back at the forefront, Team Canada trounced all opponents, and the US twice, to win the first edition of the international hockey tournament.

What a way to reforge the alliance, huh? However, while the two hockey forwards definitely had a good time, it’s all in the past for now. The focus of the moment is, again, to win. And it looks like Sam Bennett is fired up and ready to lace up against McDavid. “We’re a super-confident team on the road this year. I think we almost prefer it this year,” the Florida forward has already made it clear that the team will be heading to the Oilers nation on Wednesday with gusto, and Edmonton should brace up for a storm. A 20-19-2 away record in the regular season would bolster his statement.

Naturally, it’s evident that Bennett and his cohorts will come for nothing less than victory. And that can only come at the expense of the other. So how do Sam and Connor match up?

Sam Bennett would find it difficult to whizz past McDavid

Both the Panthers’ and the Oilers’ stars have been incredible throughout the entire season. 51 points for Bennett and 100 points for McDavid in the regular season would highlight how both these players have been crucial behind their respective teams’ success. The momentum has continued through the postseason (Connor posting 26 points compared to Sam’s 16). However, while the stats make it clear that the Oilers captain has been better than his Canadian comrade, hockey isn’t a game that’s always won by individual prowess. And that could be the defining factor in this Stanley Cup Finals.

However, in the upcoming series, there could be other thoughts fogging Bennett’s mind. Bennett’s 4-year contract with the Cats will expire this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent (UFA). Considering how Sam has been a force behind the Panthers’ Cup win last year and the title defense campaign, many NHL pundits believe that the Panthers’ opponents will swoop in to cash in on the opportunity. But the fans aren’t entirely sure that Bennett would want to depart from Miami after all.

But it is still in the future. Right now, Paul Maurice’s boys only have eyes on the second straight Cup win. Captain Aleksander Barkov, with his third Frank J. Selke Trophy win earlier this week, is leading from the front. On the other hand, the Oilers have Lady Luck on their side. Teams that have returned to the Finals after being defeated in the same stage in the previous year have a tendency to do well in the NHL. But do you think that would be something we’ll witness again this year? Or will Sam Bennett and his teammates be able to hold on to the silverware in Miami? Tell us your thoughts below!