Gretzky sympathizes with McDavid's frustration

As the primary target of opponents over his Hall of Fame career, Wayne Gretzky could certainly empathize with the frustration Connor McDavid was feeling Thursday night.

McDavid and Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Brandon Manning jostled all evening long in an eventual 6-5 Oilers loss, the Edmonton captain angrily denouncing the tactics of his opponent after the game.

Gretzky said the targeting came with the territory of being a superstar. It was something he and Mario Lemieux dealt with in their day, and a reality Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, Steven Stamkos and now McDavid, confront in the current era.

"And Connor, he's going to get tested every night, but this is not new for him," Gretzky said Friday at the NHL board of governors meetings in Palm Beach, Fla. "He's been tested since he was a kid and then playing junior hockey and now in the NHL and he's always responded and done his part."

McDavid is currently leading the NHL with 38 points.

Following Thursday's game, McDavid claimed that Manning said he intentionally injured him last season, a "classless" act in the eyes of the Newmarket, Ont., native. McDavid broke his collarbone in early November when the Flyers defenceman partially shoved him into the boards. McDavid, who missed 37 games of his rookie season with the injury, said he went out of his way to defend Manning at the time.

"I guess we can put the whole if he did it thing to rest because what he said out there kind of confirmed that," said McDavid, who taunted Manning after scoring the second goal in the Oilers' third straight loss.

Gretzky didn't mind seeing that fire in McDavid. Competitiveness is part of what makes the great ones great, he argued, referring to Carey Price's blocker attack on Kyle Palmieri, which saw the Canadiens goaltender pepper the Devils forward with shots after a drive into the Montreal goal.

"It's good to see that he's got that emotional fight in him," Gretzky said. "It's good to see that he's combative and he wants to excel and he wants to win and that's what makes him a great player is he's got that competitive spirit."

Gretzky didn't have a problem with how outspoken McDavid was after the game either. McDavid said Manning showed "what kind of guy he is" with his actions, including his decision not to fight with teammates who rushed to McDavid's defence.

"I think anybody who knows me or who has played with or against me along the road here, knows that I am not that kind of player," Manning said according to a statement released by the Flyers. "I am not out there intentionally trying to hurt people. I'm a guy who plays the game hard and I take pride in that."

Rejoining the Oilers in a business role in early October, Gretzky has tried to be around to advise McDavid if called upon, recently describing him as the best 19-year-old player he'd ever seen.