Sabres fans rooting for losing, covet Connor McDavid

Connor McDavid tries not read what's written about him, following the advice of agent Bobby Orr and so many people around him. But it's hard after Buffalo Sabres games.

"Whenever the Sabres lose, my Twitter just kind of blows up with fans kind of talking about me and stuff like that," McDavid said.

It goes beyond social media. Some fans have already had "McDavid 97" Sabres jerseys made up and wear them to games that he's not even eligible to play in.

Buffalo is tied for the fewest points in the NHL through six games and has been outshot 227-141. With the team in full rebuild mode and no expectation for success this season, some fans are on board with the idea of tanking for the No. 1 pick in June's draft.

Even with a draft lottery system in place that discourages tanking, former Sabres defenceman and current Erie Otters assistant Jay McKee understands why those looking at the long-term picture are willing to cheer for losing to get an opportunity to pick McDavid.

"They should want to get Connor McDavid, the fans here in Buffalo," McKee said. "But obviously in order to have a chance at drafting Connor, they're probably going to have to have a bad year again. And as a fan, as a player, that's not necessarily what you want, so it's kind of a double-edged sword."

On Wednesday night, McDavid will play his first game at First Niagara Center, which could be his home rink in less than a year. In something of a novelty regular-season Ontario Hockey League game, McDavid and the Otters are in town to play the Niagara IceDogs.

It's the second time Buffalo has been the stage for top 2015 draft picks. This arena also hosted the USA Hockey prospects game, and potential Nos. 2 and 3 picks Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin, in September.

For Erie, the game is a nice bit of exposure, and coach Kris Knoblauch said it's a chance to break up the monotony of the season. For McDavid, it's a potential preview of his future.

Standing at a lectern Tuesday afternoon with a Sabres logo on it, McDavid said it was pretty weird to think about fans in Buffalo already getting his name stitched on jerseys. The 17-year-old, who's considered "The Next One" after Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby, insisted he's not thinking much about the possibility that this is the first of many times he'll step onto the ice here.

"Maybe a little bit," McDavid said. "If Buffalo happens to be the one that drafts me, that'll be great and I'll be thrilled. It's the NHL. You kind of go where you're picked. Every NHL city and organization is first-class. Buffalo would be obviously a tremendous honour."

McKee played a season with Crosby and has drawn parallels between the Pittsburgh Penguins' captain and Erie's younger playmaking centre with the indescribable vision. On Tuesday, he said McDavid has the potential to be among the greatest players to play the game.