Connor McWho?

Connor McDavid?

Sheldon Keefe has heard of him.

“Specific to McDavid, many people have told me he’s very good,” a deadpan Keefe told sports reporters on a conference call early this afternoon. “I’m searching trying to find some highlights and media reports to confirm it but he’s kept a pretty low profile this year.”

The newly-minted OHL coach of the year went on to credit the highly-touted Otters forward, who scored 44 goals and 120 points in 47 games during the regular season.

“In all seriousness, McDavid is a world-class player,” Keefe said “He’s a player that’s as good a player as you’re going to find in junior hockey. Clearly that’s been well-established. We have to prepare for him no doubt but this is a very talented team in Erie that was right with us all the way through the season. We finished six points ahead of them and they’re among the elite teams in the Canadian Hockey League, as we are.”

When asked how they would prepare for the Erie Otters in the Western Conference final that begins next week, Keefe said the plan wouldn’t be much different than the way they’ve faced already.

“We don’t prepare for it much differently than any other but obviously the challenge is greater,” said Keefe.

The Otters won 10-straight to end the regular season while the Greyhounds won nine of 10 as they represented the two hottest teams in the OHL heading into the playoffs.

“They made aggressive trades this year, as we did,” Keefe said. “For the first time, we’re facing a team that believes they can beat us and very much is capable of doing it. The challenge is far greater and the attention to detail as a result is going to have to be on point.”

Both teams swept their conference semi-final series with the Greyhounds beating the Guelph Storm and Erie beating London.

The Greyhounds have yet to lose a game in the playoffs while Erie’s lone loss came in their series opener against Sarnia in round one.

The Western Conference final opens on Apr. 23 in Sault Ste. Marie.

(FILE PHOTO: Conner McDavid seen prior to a game earlier this season in Sault Ste. Marie. Kenneth Armstrong/SooToday)