Gavin McKenna took the ice for the first day of Toronto Maple Leafs rookie camp Friday, and he did not disappoint.
The 2026 first overall pick scored an impressive Michigan during practice, lifting the puck up and heaving it into the net at the far post.
While McKenna was a full participant in Friday’s on-ice session at the Ford Performance Centre, he was ultimately ruled out of the NHL Prospect Challenge being held in Gatineau by Leafs management. The team’s first tournament game is Saturday against the Ottawa Senators.
“I was just doing whatever the team wanted me to do,” McKenna said. “Obviously it’d be fun to play some games, but if they think me staying here is best, then I’m okay with that, and I’ll listen to what they want.”
During McKenna’s conversation with media, he was asked about his burgeoning friendship with Leafs forward and former team captain, John Tavares. Heading into camp, McKenna lived with Tavares for three weeks at the veteran’s lakeside summer home in the Muskokas — a picturesque locale nearly two and a half hours north of Toronto. The setup worked so well that McKenna will live with Tavares and his three children — Jace (7), Axton (5), and Rae (3), his only daughter — for his entire rookie season.
“It’s been good,” McKenna said. “Yeah, I got to go to Muskoka for a week or so with him and kind of get settled in there. Then to come back here and settle into my house now, it’s been fun. He’s been awesome. He’s super dialed in, and he’s got a lot of knowledge. So for me, being a young guy, having a veteran like that take me under his wing, it’s perfect.”
“My kids love him,” Tavares told NHL.com. “Every time we go out on the boat to do water sports or go fishing, they don’t want to go without him.
“He’s great with them. As a parent, I can’t say enough about how much I appreciate how amazing he is interacting with them. He’s fit in seamlessly with our family.”
First overall picks staying with team leaders during their rookie seasons is not a new phenomenon. When Alex Ovechkin first entered the league, he stayed with general manager George McPhee, becoming close friends with his son Graham. Sidney Crosby stayed at Mario Lemieux’s house for the first five years of his career until he bought his own home nearby. Other examples include Sharks superstar Macklin Celebrini living with Joe Thornton, Matthew Schaefer staying with Matt Martin, and Tavares himself lived with veteran centerman Doug Weight.
McKenna is also becoming close with Leafs superstar Auston Matthews, a player he might see a lot of during the season. The two skated together “a little” during the team’s informal preseason workouts and McKenna was blown away by Matthews’ talent.
“He’s unreal,” McKenna He’s fun to watch. And, yeah, to play with him, he’s super smart. And obviously he’s got that release. You kind of want to give him the puck when he’s open and hope you get an assist.”
McKenna, 18, has been widely discussed as a potential linemate for Matthews this season, with Leafs management publicly acknowledging the possibility, though nothing has been set in stone yet.
McKenna recorded 51 points (15g, 36a) in 35 games last season as a freshman at Penn State, winning the Big Ten scoring title. His NHL debut will likely come in Toronto’s season opener on Tuesday, September 29, against the Montreal Canadiens.
