Andre Leal Sun, November 1, 2026 at 1:00 PM UTC · 3 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Gavin McKenna, he won't really get to have a true homecoming game in the NHL, being from Whitehorse, Yukon.
However, playing against the Vancouver Canucks in British Columbia on Saturday is the closest he'll get to that sort of experience. He's spent a large portion of his life on that side of the country, including in the off-season when he trained with San Jose Sharks superstar Macklin Celebrini.
Against the Canucks, McKenna had family in the building for what could be labelled as his pseudo home.
"Yeah, it was cool," McKenna said after playing his first NHL game in Vancouver. "Obviously, a lot of Leafs fans here as well. So, yeah, to play in front of my family. Came to a couple Canucks games growing up, so to play in that barn and play against that team was pretty cool."
As the 18-year-old continues to go through the thrill of playing in the NHL for the first time in his rookie season, he's also still learning to be a reliable player for the Maple Leafs in all situations, specifically holding on to a lead and closing out a contest.
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In the midst of all that, McKenna has been thrown into several different line combinations in his young NHL career, and that requires some adapting.
"You've got to learn how to play in different situations," McKenna said. "So for me, I think, yeah, being moved around with guys, you've got to learn how to play with different guys. So when you're on one line, you could have a different role, and when you're on the next, it might be a whole different change. So for me, it's been just trying to stay simple, no matter whose line I'm on, it's just sticking with it and trying not to turn over the puck too much."
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Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller spoke on McKenna's utilization in the closing moments of tight games. But also, the key aspect of the youngster growing into a true professional is balancing out his play, with his high-flying skill and being able to lock it down.
McKenna finished the game with 13:01 of ice time, and his last shift in the game ended at the 12:03 mark of the third period.
"We don't have to want him to be one or the other," Hiller said of McKenna. "Just got to learn to be what an NHL player does typically. And those players with so much skill, in the end, they get a little bit more rope. We all know that. But, you still have to just find your way as an NHL player.
"He's tremendously skilled, but he's finding his way as an NHL player. And then you learn when to manage it and when not to. And that's what he's going through right now"
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Source: Sports
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