Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid was on hand at the 52nd annual Juno Awards to welcome the latest inductee to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame – Nickelback.
Showered in chants of “MVP! MVP! MVP!” the 26-year-old forward took the stage at Rogers Place to present the legendary rock group, formed in Hanna, Alta., with their induction into Canadian musical royalty.
McDavid also took the chance to express his gratitude to the group, detailing the impact their music had and continues to have in his life.
“Nickelback has brought my family and friends a lot of great memories over the years and kept a lot of neighbours up in the process,” he said. “Tonight, it’s my honour and privilege to introduce to you, the pride of Alberta, Nickelback.”
Following the presentation, McDavid caught up with ET Canada’s Carlos Bustamante, formerly of YTV’s The Zone, to reflect on the event and describe his preparation.
“Super honoured to be here,” said McDavid. “Proud to be here to represent the Oilers and the city of Edmonton. Proud to be part of Nickelback’s special night.
“There is definitely a little bit of prep that goes into it. We did a rehearsal and stuff like that, this is all new to me, I’ve never done anything like this before. A little bit nervous, but like I said, just happy to be here.”
Obviously a fan of Nickelback’s work, which song in particular is McDavid’s favourite?
“There’s so many, there’s so many,” the two-time Hart Trophy winner noted. “When you go to a Nickelback show, you’re just reminded of how many amazing songs they have. Rockstar obviously is one, Photograph is another good favourite. My dad’s favourite Nickelback song would probably be If Today Was Your Last Day, so I might go with that.”