Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Gavin McKenna was praised by head coach Jim Hiller and alternate captain John Tavares.
McKenna, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, is three games into his rookie season. Though he has been held off the scoresheet to this point, he is getting his feet wet in the NHL, and he has impressed both his coach and his veteran teammate.
Gavin McKenna Praised by Maple Leafs’ Coach & Teammate
Speaking to reporters on Monday in Toronto, coach Hiller had nothing but good things to say about McKenna so far.
“He’s young and he just seems unflappable to me… I’m sure he wishes he had more right now, of course that’s obvious. But I haven’t seen it affect him when I talk to him. He’s got a smile on his face and he walks around here the same as he did two months ago and two weeks ago… I think that’s a really important quality for him,” Hiller said.
“He’s young and he just seems unflappable to me… I’m sure he wishes he had more right now, of course that’s obvious. But I haven’t seen it affect him when I talk to him. He’s got a smile on his
John Tavares Enjoying Spending Time With Gavin McKenna
Tavares, the Maple Leafs’ veteran graybeard who has taken several rookies under his wing since he joined Toronto eight years ago, also has great things to say about McKenna, who is currently living with his family in Toronto during his rookie season.
“You can tell he’s really well raised, tremendous values, very humble, very respectful and it’s been a lot of fun. Whether it’s just getting to know each other or talking about the game, it’s been a lot of fun for myself too,” Tavares said.
“You can tell he’s really well raised, tremendous values, very humble, very respectful and it’s been a lot of fun. Whether it’s just getting to know each other or talking about the game, it’s been a lot of
Just 18 years of age, McKenna is one of the youngest players in the NHL right now, a league full of full-sized, adult men who hit hard and who can score with the best of them.
While it’s been a slow start to the year as far as scoring goes, he’s still brand new to the league, and you can’t judge him after just three games in his rookie season.
If the hope is that McKenna will be a Maple Leafs standout for a long time, he certainly has the right leadership around him.
Maple Leafs’ Gavin McKenna Praised by Jim Hiller & John Tavares