New TV series shows Oilers star McDavid 'like we've never really seen before'

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (97) celebrates his goal during the third period of Game 5 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers on June 18, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. The Oilers defeated the Panthers 5-3. (Rebecca Blackwell/Associated Press)

A new docu-series that reveals what life is like for National Hockey League players on and off the ice during the playoffs is now out.

Faceoff: Inside The NHL from Amazon Prime was filmed during the NHL playoffs earlier this year.

Ryan Rishaug, a broadcaster for TSN who's covered the Edmonton Oilers for 23 years, said filmmakers were given "unprecedented access" to players.

"They were behind the scenes with the team. They were at Connor McDavid's house. They were with his family. They were in his car with him," Rishaug told CTV News Edmonton, describing the level of access to the Oilers' superstar and other players.

"It was Connor McDavid like we've never really seen before."

Rishaug has watched all six episodes of the series and says he found it revealing. The final two feature the Oilers during play in the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers, to whom they lost the championship in seven games.

Rishaug said he found it interesting that McDavid acknowledged during the show that he's an introvert.

"He admitted that, and he talked about how that's been hard at times in his life, naturally being that way," Rishaug said.

"So for any fan out there who's ever thought over the years, if you watch McDavid's media availability or you're watching his interviews and you're not really sure about what his true personality is, he talks about 'Oh, some people think I'm boring. I think if you watch this, you'll get a better feeling for what he's all about.'

Each episode of Faceoff: Inside The NHL is about 45 minutes long.