'The Playmaking Is Elite': McKenna Impresses as Maple Leafs Hit the Ice at Camp
The 18-year-old rookie impressed coaches with elite playmaking and puck control, and John Tavares said his skill is already off the charts.
- On Thursday, rookie Gavin McKenna started his professional career on a line with John Tavares and William Nylander as the Maple Leafs hit the ice at training camp.
- Selected by Toronto after a 2025-26 campaign where the team missed the playoffs, the 18-year-old played for Penn State in the NCAA last season and is living with Tavares.
- Tavares praised the five-foot-11, 170-pound winger's skill, saying, "The playmaking is elite," while head coach Jim Hiller noted McKenna performed at a high level against veteran defender Chris Tanev.
- Hiller intends to allow McKenna natural adaptation rather than over-coaching, while 21-year-old winger Easton Cowan also impressed on a line with off-season acquisitions Nick Paul and Colton Sissons.
- Adding former Ottawa Senators captain Alfredsson to his coaching staff in July was key to Hiller's setup, with Hiller stating, "The past is the past" regarding the addition.
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14 Articles
LOS ANGELES. Now the fight for the spots begins… The NHL clubs started their training camps yesterday, Thursday. And there was one Swedish player who was extra lucky. Namely William Nylander in the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was placed in a chain with the shooting star Gavin McKenna, who was drafted number one this summer and is expected to go straight into the team […]
Gavin McKenna started the Maple Leafs training camp with John Tavares and William Nylander, in the NHL player group.
No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna flashes elite playmaking in first Maple Leafs practice
No. 1 draft pick Gavin McKenna opened his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday on the left side of a forward line with John Tavares and William Nylander - and he didn't disappoint.
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Rocky Mountain Outlook'The playmaking is elite': McKenna impresses as Maple Leafs hit the ice at camp
TORONTO — Jim Hiller zeroed in on an early test for the Maple Leafs' prized prospect. Gavin McKenna found himself in a tight space down low along the boards against hard-nosed, shutdown blueliner Chris Tanev. The No.
Jim Hiller focused on one of the first tests of the Toronto Maple Leafs' new jewel.
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