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NHL star Connor McDavid lifted the curtain on his ketchup “phobia” Saturday night following the Edmonton Oilers’ 3-2 loss to the Calgary Flames.
McDavid appeared on Sportsnet’s “After Hours” following a one-goal game against the Flames. A fan question was asked during the show asking how McDavid was able to deal with his extreme dislike of the condiment on the road.
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Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) skates against the Calgary Flames during the second period at the Scotiabank Saddledome on December 27, 2025. (Sergueï Belski/Imagn Images)
He said his teammates knew to keep him away.
McDavid was then asked how the problem developed for him, and he said it happened during his childhood.
“Honestly, you know, it comes from childhood,” McDavid said. “My brother is the same. I don’t know where it comes from. I’m going to blame him. He’s worse than me. I learned from him, so talk to him about it.”
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Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) waits for play to resume during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in St. Paul, Minnesota. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
He couldn’t name one thing he liked about it.
“I don’t know what it is,” he said. “Texture is what it looks like, that’s it. …I think it’s a phobia, yeah.”
McDavid’s wife, Lauren, first revealed the player’s problem with ketchup on Amazon’s “FACEOFF: Inside the NHL.” Last year, he was adamant that it was simply something he and his brother grew up with.

Connor McDavid (97) of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates Zach Hyman (18)’s goal on the Calgary Flames during the second period of NHL action in Edmonton, Alta., Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (Amber Bracken/The Canadian Press via AP)
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Heinz Ketchup’s social media account in Canada also mocked McDavid last October.




