October 5, 2016: The NHL's Youngest Captain

October 5, 2016: Connor McDavid, about to start his 2nd season in the NHL, is named Captain by the Edmonton Oilers. He is 19 years, 8 months and 23 days old. This makes him the youngest Captain in NHL history.

Steve Yzerman had been named Captain of the Detroit Red Wings in 1985, at 21. There wasn't much leadership available: The Detroit franchise had been bad for years, known as the Dead Things. He led them back to respectability in the early 1990s, winning 3 Stanley Cups, and putting in place a team that, after his retirement, won a 4th.

Sidney Crosby had been named Captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins at the start of the 2007-08 season, at just past 20. That seemed to be a pandering, as he was already being heavily promoted as the next great NHL star. But he got the Penguins to the Finals, losing to the Wings in their 4th Cup in their run. In 2009, Crosby got them over the hump, beating the Wings, and then won the Cup again in 2016 and 2017.

It remains to be seen whether McDavid can do something similar with the Oilers. Through the 2021-22 season, he has been one of the top players in the game, and has led them to the Playoffs in 4 out of his 6 seasons "wearing the C." In 2022, they got to the Western Conference Finals. He's 25. He has time.

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October 5, 2016 was a Wednesday. There was only one score on this historic day: The National League Wild Card Game was played. The New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants were tied 0-0 after 8 innings at Citi Field, a scorching pitching duel between Noah Syndergaard and Madison Bumgarner.

But Met manager Terry Collins brought Jeurys Familia in to pitch the top of the 9th, and he blew it, allowing a leadoff double to Brandon Crawford, striking out Angel Paga, walking Joe Panik, and giving up a home run to Conor Gillaspie. Giant manager Bruce Bochy trusted "MadBum" to finish the shutout, which he did with ease. Giants 3, Mets 0.