FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2015, file photo, Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid warms up before the start of an NHL hockey game against the St. Louis Blues, in St. Louis. McDavid left the ice favoring his left shoulder during the second period of a game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Edmonton. He was seen wearing a sling in the hallway behind the dressing room and did not return for the third period. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

Please recall Connor McDavid breaking his left clavicle in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers earlier this month, as the Edmonton Oilers sensation crashed into the end boards followed by two Flyers after taking a shot on goal.

The hockey world reacted mournfully, as McDavid’s brilliant rookie campaign would be shelved for months.

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Don Cherry, venerable firebrand on Hockey Night In Canada? Well, he reacted rather angrily, because he was convinced that McDavid was injured … on purpose.

“You dummies like you don’t realize that Connor McDavid was hurt and hurt on purpose!” he bellowed before showing the evidence:

“Now, the league can’t do anything about it, because they can’t prove it!” he said. Ron MacLean attempted to walk back the comments to the point of “negligence” rather than “intent,” but that horse had already left the loudly jacketed barn.

So Connor McDavid, speaking to the media for the first time since the injury on Monday, had a chance to put that horse down, in a proverbial sense, when asked about the intent of the Flyers players to injure him on a play that clearly had McDavid losing an edge and all three players’ momentum carrying them into the boards.

Or as McDavid put it:

“I was coming down the left side. Got a shot off. Kinda just lost a little bit of my footing and went into the boards with a couple of guys.”

OK, so the million dollar question: “From your perspective, was this a hockey play or was this something that could have been avoided by the opponent?”

Said McDavid:

“I don’t really want to touch too much on that comment. I know there’s been a little bit of a debate on whether or not. I’m not gonna touch too much on that.”

But was there “an extra push?” he was asked. McDavid:

“I’m not going to comment on that.”

So McDavid avoids clearing the Flyers of all wrongdoing by calling this a “hockey play gone bad” or some such. Maybe he’s angry about how it went down. Maybe this Good Canadian Boy actually agrees with the wingnut conspiracy theory put forth by Cherry. Whatever the case, the phenom punted on whether the Flyers, or happenstance, put his arm in a sling.

Well, at least until McDavid decided not to wear one.

“I was in a sling for a bit. I don’t really like it too much. Kind of uncomfortable,” he said.

McDavid said he’s stayed in hockey shape thanks to this being an upper body rather than lower body injury. Hopefully he’s back on the ice soon.

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.



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