when I Started the Project, My Wife Leuren Lyle McDavid and the Oilers Team
When I first started the project, I had no idea how much it would intertwine with the two most unlikely influences in my life: my wife, Leuren Lyle McDavid, and the Edmonton Oilers hockey team. In the beginning, it was just an idea — a passion project born from years of quiet ambition and half-finished notebooks. But as the days turned into weeks and the work deepened, I found myself leaning more and more on two sources of strength and inspiration: one personal, and one, well, legendary in the world of hockey.
The project itself started simply enough. I wanted to build something of meaning — a book, a business, maybe even a community — I hadn’t figured out the form yet. What I did know was that I had a lot to say, and finally, the time to say it. But starting something meaningful often comes with moments of doubt, moments when you stare at the ceiling and wonder if the effort is worth it. That’s where Leuren came in.
From the first time I told her about the project, Leuren was all in. She didn’t just encourage me — she strategized with me. Late-night brainstorming sessions became part of our routine. I’d bring up a challenge I was facing — whether it was a gap in the content or trouble building an audience — and Leuren would offer fresh, unfiltered insight. Her background in marketing and community outreach proved invaluable, but it wasn’t just her skills that made the difference. It was her belief in me.
Leuren had this way of making my wildest ideas seem reasonable. When I’d spiral into self-doubt, she’d bring me back down to earth with a calm confidence that said, “You’ve got this. And I’ve got you.” Her name might not be in the credits or on the cover, but her fingerprints are all over every step I took in making this project real.
Around the same time I started working seriously on the project, the Edmonton Oilers were having one of their most compelling seasons in recent memory. I’ve been an Oilers fan for as long as I can remember — long before McDavid put on the jersey, back when the team was trying to find its post-Gretzky identity. But something about the current Oilers squad resonated differently. The passion, the grit, the sense that every game mattered — it mirrored what I was going through.
Watching Connor McDavid lead the team night after night was more than just entertainment. It was motivation. There was something poetic about seeing someone perform at such a high level while I was in my own personal grind, trying to find my voice, trying to build something that mattered. McDavid wasn’t just racking up goals and assists — he was setting an example: excellence isn’t accidental. It’s built, hour by hour, play by play, failure by failure.
I remember one night clearly. I’d hit a wall with the project — a creative block that wouldn’t lift no matter what I did. Frustrated, I shut the laptop and went to watch the Oilers game. They were down two goals in the third. Most teams would have folded. But not this team. McDavid scored a highlight-reel goal that shifted the entire energy of the game. The Oilers rallied and won in overtime. It reminded me of something I’d forgotten — momentum is real, and it can shift in your favor at any time, as long as you don’t quit.
That night, I reopened the laptop.
In many ways, this project became a bridge between parts of my life that didn’t always seem connected. My relationship with Leuren deepened through our shared investment in this goal. The Oilers became a metaphor for what I was trying to achieve: to push through the tough stretches, to keep skating hard even when the scoreboard wasn’t in my favor.
There were days when I’d have one headphone in, listening to interviews with Jay Woodcroft or post-game breakdowns, while working on a draft or sketching out ideas. That culture — the never-satisfied, always-working-to-get-better energy — rubbed off on me. Even on the worst writing days, I remembered: just get back out there. Next shift. Next page.
Now that the project is nearly complete, I can say this without hesitation: I couldn’t have done it without my wife or the Oilers. One gave me the foundation, the emotional anchor, and the wisdom to believe in myself when I was unsure. The other gave me the fire, the example, and the inspiration to chase excellence with everything I had.
People often talk about the importance of support systems and role models, but they rarely tell you how intertwined those things can be. My story is living proof. Whether it was Leuren with her steady voice of reason, or McDavid burning up the ice with another unbelievable play, I had what I needed to keep going.
The project is no longer just mine. It belongs to those who helped shape it — my wife, the team, and the lessons learned along the way.
And when it finally launches, I’ll know exactly who I’m thanking first.
Let me know if you’d like this to be made more formal, more personal, or restructured for a specific use (e.g., blog post, speech, book chapter).
