Jim Hiller Explains Gavin McKenna's Latest Maple Leafs Benching

Getty

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 28: Gavin McKenna #92 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks on during the first period against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on October 28, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Despite the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, there is still one major question circling around Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller.

Gavin McKenna’s ice time was cut during the third period of their victory, and he played a total of 13:01. McKenna played a strong game on Saturday as he recorded three shots on goal, while the Maple Leafs controlled 78.7% of the expected goals when McKenna was on the ice five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick. Jim Hiller explained the situation postgame and why this is a recurring issue with the 18-year-old.

Gavin McKenna Benched on Saturday

“We don’t want him to be one or the other,” Hiller said of McKenna post-game. “He’s just got to learn what an NHL player does typically. Those players with so much skill, in the end, get a little bit more rope. We all know that, but you still have to find your way as an NHL player. He’s tremendously skilled, but he’s finding his way as an NHL player. You learn when to manage it and when not to, and that’s what he’s going through right now.”

McKenna currently sits at the top of the NHL in points by a rookie, alongside James Hagens of the Boston Bruins with 11 points. McKenna has looked dangerous at times in the NHL during the early stages of his career, but there have also been times where he has needed to adjust and grow as a player. McKenna did not see the ice during the final 12 minutes of Saturday’s win; this being the second time McKenna has been benched, with the first time coming against the Buffalo Sabres during their 5-4 overtime loss on October 15th.

Hiller took the blame for McKenna’s benching the first time, while receiving heavy criticism from the rest of the league, while this time it seems as he stood by his decision.

“We try to put him in good spots,” Hiller said. “He’s on the power play, the first power play. That’s a chance to really show your skill there. Then, different times late in the game, we try to protect the lead. He just doesn’t get as much.”

McKenna Strong on Maple Leafs Third Line

As the Maple Leafs begin to prepare for their matchup against the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday, we can continue to expect the trio of McKenna, Joshua, and Sissons, as Hiller liked the way they looked. McKenna has bounced around the Maple Leafs lineup with stars Kirill Marchenko and John Tavares out week-to-week, he has gotten a look in the top six along Auston Matthews, but hasn’t been able to stay up there for very long.

“There were some different things. I actually thought that Sissons, Joshua, and McKenna were really effective. Hiller said Saturday.” It’s probably the most Gavin’s had the puck in the O-zone in a game, I would think, with the puck on his stick. He was dangerous, so I really liked the look of that.

“There are penalties, so you get things mixed up just a little bit coming out of different penalties. Once we got that going, it looked like it worked pretty well, so we stuck with it.”