ou never forget the first time you see greatness.
For me, it was 2009 at the Toronto Marlboros International Holiday Classic. A 12-year-old Connor McDavid, wearing a York Simcoe Express jersey, already showing flashes of the player he would become.
I photographed McDavid’s rise from those early tournaments, through the OHL Priority Selection, and then across his unforgettable years with the Erie Otters. Along the way, I witnessed both the hype and the human side of his journey — from pulling on an Otters jersey for the first time to leaning on his mom for support after being drafted first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2015.
I’ve pulled those stories — and some rare photos from my archives — together in a new HockeyDocs video:
