Connor McDavid is already a generational talent and a two-time Hart Trophy winner. Even at just 27, his legacy is fairly secure. What moves the needle at this point is winning, and the coming weeks could prove to be transformational for McDavid's career.
The Oilers have a chance not only to win their first Stanley Cup in 34 years, but also snap a 31-year championship drought for the entire country of Canada. While fans of the six other Canadian teams might debate whether to root on Edmonton as "Canada's team," doing something that hasn't been done in more than three decades would make McDavid even more of a hero in the nation.
McDavid's stardom is well-known inside the hockey world. The Stanley Cup Final and the platform that comes with it give McDavid a chance to grow his brand considerably larger with a championship on the line, putting himself and his family in the spotlight.
Here's a closer look at McDavid's biggest supporters, his fiancee, and their relationship history.
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Who is Connor McDavid's fiancee?
McDavid is engaged to Lauren Kyle, who describes herself as an interior designer and runs Kyle & Co. Design Studio from Edmonton.
While they only got engaged last year, McDavid and Kyle have been together for more than eight years. They met when they were set up by her cousin and McDavid's teammate in 2015 when the Oilers standout was just beginning his NHL career.
Kyle is originally from Toronto and graduated from Ryerson University with a degree in interior architecture.
Though Kyle doesn't frequently post photos of herself attending Oilers games, she appears to be a regular presence at Rogers Place supporting McDavid. She recently posted an image of herself and Leon Draisaitl's girlfriend watching an Oilers playoff game together, with each wearing a custom leather jacket emblazoned with their significant other's name and number.
McDavid and Kyle are currently planning a wedding. While the location isn't known, Kyle said on Instagram that the special day will be July 27. If the Oilers finish the season the way they want to, McDavid could go from a championship parade in late June to a dream wedding in late July.
McDavid said earlier in the season that he's left most of the planning to her. Kyle, meanwhile, posted on social media about her bachelorette party in Paris with a group that included Draisaitl's girlfriend.
MORE: Breaking down Connor McDavid's playoff history
Connor McDavid-Lauren Kyle relationship timeline
Kyle said she and McDavid had been together for "almost eight years" by the time they got engaged in 2023, indicating that they first met in 2015. That was the same year in which McDavid was drafted first overall by the Oilers as a can't-miss prospect.
The pair have a four-year-old miniature bernedoodle named Lenard, or Lenny. McDavid credited Lenny, a puppy at the time, with helping him stay in shape during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic and NHL shutdown in 2020.
McDavid proposed to Kyle on June 22, 2023, and the couple has been planning a wedding for July 27, 2024.
connor mcdavid and his longtime girlfriend, lauren kyle, have gotten engaged. pic.twitter.com/wLUFiP9EvK
— zach (@zjlaing) June 24, 2023
Both Kyle and McDavid are originally from the Toronto area, but Kyle eventually moved to Edmonton to be with McDavid. Knowing the kind of star power McDavid showed at such a young age, the smart money was always on the Oilers doing everything they could to keep him in Alberta. Kyle started her design company in Edmonton, and McDavid is about to enter his 10th season in the city later in the year.
With a wedding upcoming and the Oilers finally competing for a championship, the McDavid family appears to be settled long-term in Edmonton. A Stanley Cup would entrench McDavid's legacy in the city even further.
