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So Connor McDavid thinks he can be better this year?

Of course he does. The Rogers Place ice is going to be better this year. And he’s become the unofficial ice consultant.

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There are all sorts of questions with most National Hockey League teams as the pre-season games begin. But there’s a much shorter list than just about anywhere in Edmonton. But one of the questions Oilers fans had as heading into Monday’s split-squad game against the Calgary Flames didn’t involve who would end up playing right-wing beside McDavid, the question was what kind of surface he might be skating on in his second season in Rogers Place?

Photo by David Bloom / Postmedia

The question is a rather key one considering the 100-point, $100-million player is the best skater in the league. You want to give him great ice to do his thing.

The ice-makers, you should know, didn’t spend the off-season making ice cubes for Garth Brooks drinks.

“Actually, we made ice for Garth,” Rogers Place head ice-maker Jason Rimmer said with a laugh. “We only take the ice out of the community rink for three or four weeks, and after the last of Garth’s nine concerts, he went for a skate.”