Connor McDavid Wins Conn Smythe Trophy Despite Oilers' Loss to Panthers in Stanley Cup Final

Connor McDavid, captain of the Edmonton Oilers, was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the NHL playoffs despite his team losing the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers. This marks the first time since 2003 that a player from the losing team has won the award. McDavid scored 42 points (eight goals, 34 assists) in 25 postseason games, coming within five points of Wayne Gretzky's record for a single playoff year. His exceptional performance included back-to-back four-point games in the finals, making him the first player in history to achieve this feat. Despite the Oilers' strong efforts, they fell short in Game 7, losing 2-1 to the Panthers, who secured their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. This extends Canada's Stanley Cup drought, which dates back to 1993.