Connor McDavid: Inside the Hockey All-Star’s Cozy Modern Home - Architectural Digest

Connor McDavid is the best hockey player in the world, with more accolades than you can shake a stick at: First overall pick in the National Hockey League's 2015 draft, the youngest team captain in NHL history, three-time league leader in points, and two-time winner of the most valuable player award, to name a few. But there's one factoid McDavid just wants to be sure you're aware of: "We live in Edmonton, Alberta, which for people [who] don't know, that is a very cold place."

When you spend your days in the subzero temperatures of the Canadian winter and work in an adrenaline-fueled job on sheets of ice, having a home that can serve as a respite is a must. The three-story house that McDavid and his girlfriend Lauren Kyle had Design Two Group build makes room for the bundled-up coziness of their particular focus on chill time—pun intended. It also honors their shared modern aesthetic thanks in large part to Kyle, who spearheaded the project in her capacity as an interior designer. (She runs her own firm, Kyle and Co Design Studio.)

The couple got serious about house-hunting after McDavid secured a nine-figure, eight-year contract from the Oilers in 2017. But after finding nothing on the market that matched their vision, they decided on a custom-built home among the evergreen trees not far from the North Saskatchewan River valley. 

When it came time to review the finalized architectural plans, McDavid and Kyle decided to make one major addition: On the basement level, next to the plush lounge and bar area, they commissioned what they call "the sports court," (a basketball half court where most afternoons you'll find McDavid roller-blading and working on his hockey skills) as well as a home gym. By 2019, they (along with their then-new Bernedoodle, Lenard) were ready to move in.

Today, it's clear that the open plan of the main floor is one of both McDavid and Kyle's favorite attributes of the home. McDavid wanted their abode to be an inclusive hub for any teammates and family and friends who visited (McDavid and Kyle are both from the Toronto area), with few walls between them. "Connor being the captain, we knew we were going to have to host a lot," Kyle says. "This house feels like it's definitely an entertainer's home." McDavid would have to agree. "I think our house has kind of become the designated team party house," the hockey star adds with a chuckle.

Social functions aside, the area also suits Kyle's personal sense of style. "It's a very sleek-looking house, with a lot of clean lines," she says. "[T]here's not a ton of ornate detail. It's very contemporary and at the same time has a little bit of traditional influence."

So what exactly does that main floor include? A kitchen with a large veined marble island, which opens onto an expansive patio, for starters. There's also an adjacent dining room, anchored by its monumental RH table and chairs from Henge, an Italian brand that specializes in hand-burnished metals. The black-white-and-gray palette continues to give way to more earthy tones in the living room, where four green patina panels from local metalworker Forge 53 overlook the brown U-shaped sofa from Timothy Oulton that can reportedly seat up to 30.

"For us, in-season, it can be a pretty busy schedule, and we don't get a ton of downtime," says McDavid, who loves to flop on that epic sectional. ("It's such a nice, big comfy couch," he says.) The living room's metal panels slide back to reveal the television that McDavid likes to watch during his fleeting moments of relaxation. In fact, the home is filled with TVs in unexpected places: There's one inside the foot of the primary bed, which was crafted by a local woodworker, and another that comes down from over a fireplace in the upstairs lounge.

"I like that everything's hidden," Kyle says. "Even our bar, we have this brass door that slides over [it]. We really wanted everything to stay clean, but then have a little bit of intrigue. Like, What's behind?"

Then there's what is outside, on the deck that wraps around much of the upper floor, including the primary bedroom. The deck features a panoramic view of the river valley below. There's also a two-person sauna whose screens can be closed to block the wind. For one of the fastest men on skates and his partner, it's places like these where life starts to slow down. As McDavid says: "It's a long cold winter here, so any chance you get to be outside, it certainly helps."