Newmarket NHL hockey star Connor McDavid captured Canada’s hearts with his winning goal at the 4 Nations Face-off, and now he has captured the golden arches at McDonalds.
McDonald's celebrated McDavid’s overtime winning goal against the United States Feb. 20 by renaming a Newmarket McDonald's location at 1100 Davis Dr. as McDavid's Feb. 27. The restaurant chain decorated the location at 1100 Davis Dr. with Canadian flags and went as far as changing the signs on the exterior of the building to McDavid's.
Franchise owner Peter Miller said it was really cool to be part of, and he has never seen anything like this in his decades with McDonald's.
“I’ve never seen McDonald's react like this, get so excited about a hometown hero like this,” he said. “It’s a big deal for us. It’s a big deal for the Town of Newmarket, and (we’ll) have a little fun I think with this.”
McDonald's originally promised to rename the restaurant chain in 2024 if McDavid could bring home the NHL’s Stanley Cup. While McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers fell short of that last season, the restaurant said it is making good on that deal after his massive 3-2 overtime goal to give Canada the win in the 4 Nations Face-Off.
“Our local franchisees are committed to supporting the communities they serve, and that means celebrating their wins,” McDonald's Canada said in a news release. “Bringing home the win for Canada on the ice is a huge accomplishment, and as a fellow McD, we go big with our celebrations.”
Beyond changing the signs and decorations at the franchise for one week, the restaurant will also be celebrating by having the Big Mac-David burger stay on the menu a while longer. Visitors to the franchise location on Davis Drive will also be able to get a small order of fries for just $0.97, representing McDavid’s jersey number, from 11 a.m. to midnight.
Miller said it brings a great feeling of pride.
“Hometown pride to be involved in something like this,” he said. “I hope the town and everyone in the town when they see that, they’ll have a sense of pride and care ….We’re just trying to do what’s the right thing here and being involved in trying to make his legacy live on.”