Mark Cuban rips NHL, doesn't know who Connor McDavid is

Mark Cuban has never been one to keep his thoughts to himself.

The outspoken owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks — who took his frank approach to the masses as a star on ABC’s Shark Tank — is certainly not afraid to speak his mind, even if it means dragging a country’s national pastime through the mud.

Cuban has long been extolling the virtues of the NBA, a “superstar driven” league with talent that appears to have a greater international reach than that of the other three major North American sports.

He recently sat down with NBC Sports to discuss the merits of top prospects playing in the G League as opposed to taking the college route, but it didn’t take long for Cuban to shift his focus to the NHL.

It’s a “league driven league,” says Cuban, much like the NFL — the talent in these leagues just doesn’t seem to have the same international appeal as that of the NBA.

And he didn’t mince words when illustrating his point.

“I couldn’t name you who the best player in the NHL is if it’s not Sidney Crosby,” said Cuban in his interview with NBC Sports. “I heard someone say Connor McDavid. I don’t know who that is or where he plays.”

Cuban was probably a little hyperbolic with his assessment of the NHL, but he may have a point. It’s certainly tougher for McDavid to earn international appeal while playing with a small-market Canadian team that often lives at the bottom of the NHL’s standings.

Nevertheless, it’s a strange comment coming from a guy who once had eyes on becoming a minority owner of the NHL’s Dallas Stars.

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