Connor McDavid Talks NHL 27 99 Club, Macklin Celebrini, Oilers' 2026-27 Season, More in BR Interview

After many years of being widely viewed as the best hockey player in the world, Edmonton Oilers superstar center Connor McDavid is standing on his own in the upcoming EA Sports NHL 27 video game.

On Monday, EA named McDavid the inaugural member of the 99 Club in NHL 27, and the three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner as NHL MVP spoke with Bleacher Report this week to discuss that and other topics.

A longtime fan of the EA Sports NHL video game franchise, McDavid noted how meaningful it is to be recognized as the flagship member of the 99 Club.

"I feel a little bit guilty in a sense because I made a joke about it a couple of years ago, so I feel like I maybe set this up for myself," McDavid said. "But it's a cool honor. It's a game that I played since I was a little kid. I know how big it is, what this game means to kids kind of growing up and loving the game. Every way possible, playing road hockey, pond hockey, playing real hockey and going home and playing video games with your siblings or your buddies, I know how much it means. I certainly know what it meant to me."

The 99 Club is something that originated in EA Sports' hugely popular Madden NFL video game franchise, and it has developed into one of the biggest honors in sports gaming.

McDavid expressed his belief that it can only be a good thing for hockey to have NHL 27 following in Madden's footsteps with the 99 Club, saying, "I think hockey is growing and it seems to be at a great rate. Any time we can be in the same breath as football, no matter the circumstances, it's a positive thing. I know what it means in the NFL, in Madden, to be part of the 99 Club. I hope that there will be many guys to join the NHL 99 Club. ... I hope it's something that grows over time and we can make it as big as Madden's 99 Club."

Madden may be the biggest sports video game franchise of all time, but the NHL video game franchise is sacred in its own right among hockey fans.

Fans of all ages have played and enjoyed the series since its inception, and McDavid himself is part of that group.

The six-time Art Ross Trophy winner as the NHL's leading point scorer fondly remembers some of the EA NHL battles he had with his brother while growing up, saying, "My household was pretty funny. I was a Leafs fan and my brother was a Senators fan, and we'd always play Leafs vs. Sens rivalry games. For me, though, I think my favorite memory is we always got it for Christmas. It almost became tradition for us to open the game and play later Christmas Day and get it rolling right then and there."

McDavid is 29 years old now and preparing to enter his 12th NHL season, but that hasn't stopped him from continuing to have fun with the EA Sports NHL video game series.

Peeling back the proverbial curtain a bit to offer a glimpse into what life is like for NHL players, McDavid divulged that playing the NHL video game is something they like to do together as a bonding activity.

"On the road, guys are bringing gaming systems with them wherever they're going," McDavid said. "I know in the playoffs we always set up kind of like a player lounge, and we've always got a PlayStation or Xbox going, and guys are playing each other head to head there. It's definitely something that bonds the guys even still. It doesn't matter how old you are, video games can still be fun, and certainly NHL is a great way to bond with each other."

While NHL teammates have the benefit of sitting down in the same room and playing the game together, that isn't the case for everyone.

In NHL 27, EA Sports is upping the ante with the addition of connected franchise for the first time ever. With connected franchise, up to 32 gamers can compete together in the same franchise mode.

McDavid views connected franchise as a great way to remain in contact with his longtime friends, saying, "For me, being away from home, finding a way to bond with my buddies back home and staying connected with my buddies back home has always been kind of a challenge. We've done it in many different ways, and sometimes gaming is a way for us to do that."

Another major inclusion in NHL 27 is unique, in-game presentations for all 32 NHL teams.

In an effort to make playing at every NHL arena feel as real as possible, NHL 27 features true-to-life pregame productions, and McDavid is looking forward to seeing the Oilers' atmosphere in virtual form.

"A little shoutout to our media team, they do a great job in Edmonton of getting the place going," McDavid said. "I know for me personally, skating out onto that ice, big playoff game, 'Enter Sandman' is playing, the crowd's going crazy, nothing is quite like it. I hope we can see that in the game. And the other thing for me is our anthem. The way the people scream 'O Canada' at the top of their lungs, it's such a special environment, it's such a fun place to play playoff hockey, and I hope it kind of translates to the game."

While McDavid is making history in NHL 27 with the 99 Club, San Jose Sharks sensation Macklin Celebrini received the honor of being the cover athlete for the game.

McDavid was on the cover of NHL 18, and he recalled what that was like to be part of that exclusive club.

"It's a tremendous honor," McDavid said. "I remember seeing my face on the cover of the game for the first time, and it really hits you. As fans we're always looking ahead to what's the next game and who's on the cover and what's the new features and all that. It's a proud moment to be on the cover, and something that I'm sure he's very proud of."

McDavid also had nothing but good things to say about Celebrini, who he has faced multiple times at the NHL level, while also joining forces with him as part of Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

"He's special, there's no way around that," McDavid said of Celebrini. "Being his teammate, getting a chance to see him up close and personal, just how he works at such a young age and such a high-stress environment—obviously like the Olympics is—the kid just took it in stride. He's just himself, and I think that's an impressive thing. Obviously, playing against him, he's a tough matchup. There's no question he's one of the best players in the world, and you wanna shut him down when you can, and obviously produce as well on the other side. He's solid both ways."

McDavid and Celebrini figure to be among the biggest talking points when the 2026-27 NHL regular season officially starts on Sept. 29.

Opening night will feature five games, and one of them will see McDavid and the Oilers host the rival Vancouver Canucks.

McDavid confirmed that he is feeling the excitement for opening night even though he is more than a decade into his NHL career.

"There's always excitement opening night," McDavid said. "The first game of the season is always so highly anticipated and there's so much excitement. And then obviously opening night, to be a part of that is something we haven't had a chance to do in the last number of years, there's something to be said to play on that night. It means a lot, everybody's watching. I know I've been at home watching opening night and seeing the first look at the new season. It's an exciting night and something that we're excited to be a part of, and hoping to get off to a good start."

McDavid led the Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2024 and 2025 before the team suffered a first-round playoff exit last season.

Although McDavid acknowledged that a tough road is ahead for the Oilers and every other team because of how competitive the league is currently, he expressed confidence that the team will perform up to its lofty expectations.

"The parity has never been tighter," McDavid said. "Everybody can play, right from the best teams in the league right down to the teams that are vying for the first overall pick. It's tough every single night. The game is in an amazing place, but with that being said, it causes you to need to be ready to go each and every night because if you're not, I don't like your chances. We got our work cut out for us, we know that. We gotta build our program back to the standard that we think it needs to be at, and we'll do that. It'll start right away here."

With McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard leading the way, the Oilers have established themselves as perennial Stanley Cup contenders, and the expectations will likely be nothing less than that in 2026-27.

As such, the Oilers figure to be one of the most popular teams for gamers to utilize when NHL 27 is officially released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on Sept. 11.