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          Inside the decision to make McDavid captain

          It was only a matter of time before Connor McDavid was named captain of the Oilers. What went into the decision to do so now? Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images
          • Craig Custance, ESPN Senior WriterOct 6, 2016, 11:03 AM ET
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            • Senior NHL writer for ESPN The Magazine
            • Wrote for Atlanta Journal-Constitution
            • Wrote for The Sporting News
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          Andrew Ference saw it right away.

          Last year, when Connor McDavid arrived as the No. 1 overall pick and the savior of the Edmonton Oilers franchise, Ference was still the captain. At least, temporarily. Because of injuries to the veteran defenseman and a desire to get to know the roster better, the Oilers opted to go without a full-time captain last season.

          But even then, Ference knew the future of the Oilers was in the hands of the teenage kid from Newmarket, Ontario. On the ice and off. He’d seen it play out so many times in his career. It didn’t matter who was officially the captain, the personality of every team Ference played for eventually evolved into the personality of the team’s best player.