Move Aside McDavid, Cole Caufield Has Become My Favourite Player in the NHL

I’ve grown up loving and playing the game of hockey since I was five years old. At one point, I probably thought I could be an NHL player, but it turns out the NHL wasn't looking for perennially mediocre rep hockey players, and it became obvious it was not going to happen. But along the way, I’ve had favourite players whose games I've really connected with.

When I first started watching hockey consistently in the late 2000s or early 2010s, my first favourite player was Michael Cammalleri of the Montreal Canadiens. I found out at the time that he had some Jewish heritage, like myself, and he scored a lot of goals for my favourite team. He was my favourite player up until he left the Canadiens in 2012, and then it shifted to P.K. Subban, one of the most dynamic defensemen of my lifetime. Once again, he electrified fans in Montreal and represented the organization so well.

After Subban started to decline and was traded to Nashville in 2016, my favourite player in the NHL finally became someone who wasn’t on the Habs, Connor McDavid. I don’t even need to explain much here. He’s probably the greatest and most skilled player I’ve ever watched (either him or Sidney Crosby). The way McDavid makes the game look so easy has made me fall in love with his game.

And while he’s still one of my TWO favourite players in the NHL, I’ve officially decided I have a new favourite player in the NHL.

And, just like Cammalleri, he wears number 13 for the Canadiens, and he scores a lot of goals: Cole Caufield.

Maybe it’s that he’s small but is so dynamic. Maybe it’s how fast and smooth of a skater he is. Maybe it’s just that he scores goals on a consistent basis. Maybe it's the way he’s gotten better every year with the Canadiens, and it's not just on offence but on defence as well. A lot of his defensive plays actually lead to scoring chances, and he truly has become a very solid two-way player.

It can be something as simple as taking a hit in the defensive zone to get the puck out, or skating around with possession and choosing to pass instead of shoot. Even right now, if you watch Canadiens games closely, he’s doing an excellent job of coming in from behind defenders, lifting their stick, taking the puck away, gaining possession, and setting up teammates for goals or great scoring opportunities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzdxAPKfnBU

For a long time now, the way he’s been dedicated to becoming a better all-around player, while still improving what already makes him elite, his goal scoring, has been awesome to watch as a fan. He’s one of the main reasons you tune in every night to watch the Habs, because there’s always a chance you’re watching one of the best goal scorers in the NHL do his thing.

Maybe it’s also his flair for the dramatic. He already has the most overtime goals in Canadiens history (13) so early in his career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tIUXw-f2iY

Or maybe it’s the fact that in 2021, he came straight from college into the NHL and helped lead this team on a playoff run to the Cup Final. Since then, he’s grown into a leader and one of the faces of the franchise during this rebuild, with hopes of competing for Stanley Cups again one day in the not-so-distant future.

It also comes down to this question I ask myself sometimes: If I played for the Canadiens, lived in Montreal, and were one of the guys on the team, who would I want to be?

You could say Nick Suzuki, the captain, but there’s a lot of pressure that comes with that. You could say Lane Hutson, who’s young and electrifying crowds every night as well. But for me, it’s Caufield.

How could you not want to be the guy who makes the Bell Centre rock every night when you score? Your nickname is “Mr. Saturday Night.” You’re one of the most exciting players and best goal scorers (currently 2nd) in the league, and the fans love you, like you saw last night when he reached 40 goals in a season for the first time in his career.

So yeah, while I still love Connor McDavid, I think it’s time for him to step aside and pass the torch.

After years of climbing the ranks, Cole Caufield is officially my favourite player in the NHL.

Cole, congratulations on this honour.