Mark Carney says Connor McDavid unsigned is a crisis, jokes about helping him in the next budget

Prime Minister Mark Carney no doubt has a lot on his mind these days — between fluctuating trade tensions with the U.S., economic pressures within Canada, and various geopolitical challenges.

Also gnawing at the self-avowed Edmonton Oilers fan is superstar Connor McDavid’s future with the NHL club.

With the 169-member Liberal caucus meeting in the Alberta capital this week, Carney opened a press conference Wednesday by “getting right down to business.”

“Let’s face it — we are in a crisis,” the 60-year-old prime minister said flatly. “The global trading system has been upended. Supply chains have been destroyed. McDavid is unsigned.”

"We are in a crisis, the global trading system has been upended, supply chains have been destroyed, McDavid is unsigned."Prime Minister Mark Carney opened his caucus meeting in Edmonton with comments on Connor McDavid’s contract. pic.twitter.com/DyqMif4MRw

— YEGWAVE (@yegwave) September 11, 2025

The 28-year-old Oilers superstar, arguably hockey’s most outstanding player, is heading into the final year of his existing eight-year, $100 million contract without a new one in place.

Carney’s remarks drew laughter from those in the room as he continued.

“This is not a transition. This is a rupture and it’s in times like that you have to draw back in, remember what you have,” Carney said, spouting off the rest of the Oilers’ top 4 forwards — Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

“We gotta draw on those strengths, we gotta draw on those values.”

Carney then made another pitch to McDavid.

“And Connor, if there’s anything that we can do in the upcoming budget. We’re spending less so we can invest more so we can bring that Cup back to Canada,” he said to laughter and applause.

A Canadian team hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens captured it by finishing off Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings in five games.

McDavid and the Oilers have come close the past two seasons, but fell to the Florida Panthers both times.

When asked about his future in Edmonton, McDavid has consistently said he will take his time to determine what’s next for him and his family.

“When you’re trying to plan the next three, four, seven, nine years of your life, you don’t just dream it up in one day, you take your time, talk it over, think about it some more, talk it over again,” McDavid told reporters after pre-training camp practice with other team leaders last week, according to NHL.com.

“It’s not something that I take lightly; it’s not something that my family takes lightly. I’ve put everything I have into my career, just like everybody here. You only get one chance to do it and to do it right and that leads to taking your time with it and that’s where it’s at.”

Of the other Oilers’ “strengths” mentioned by Carney, Draisaitl will be in Edmonton long-term, having just signed an eight-year, $112,000,000 contract with a per-season cap hit of $14,000,000, the highest in NHL history.

Hyman is signed through 2027-28 and Nugent-Hopkins, whose entire 15-year career has been spent in Edmonton, is inked through 2028-29 on a contract that includes a no-movement clause so he can end his career as an Oiler.

The Oilers training camp opens S ept. 17, and they welcome the Calgary Flames to Edmonton for the home opener on Oct. 8. 

• Connor McDavid’s wife seemingly shades Florida Panthers: 'Why is Alberta rat-free?'
• Jamie Sarkonak: Mark Carney has no plan, but did you know he played hockey?

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