McKenna getting assist from Matthews, Tavares entering Maple Leafs camp

TORONTO -- If Gavin McKenna needed any kind of emotional support while he faced the gathering of reporters and cameras for Toronto Maple Leafs media day on Wednesday, he needed only to look to his left to find it.

Sitting beside the 18-year-old were two players who could relate to the overwhelming reality and spotlight of being the No. 1 pick attending your first NHL training camp.

On the far left: John Tavares, the 35-year-old forward who was selected No. 1 in the 2009 NHL Draft by the New York Islanders.

To his immediate left was Auston Matthews, the Maple Leafs captain, who will turn 29 on Thursday and was taken No. 1 by Toronto in the 2016 NHL Draft. 

Right next to him was McKenna, the forward from Whitehorse, Yukon, whom the Maple Leafs selected out of Penn State University with the first pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. 

Three generations of one-time highly coveted prospects who will be looking to mesh together with the common goal of bringing success to the Maple Leafs this season.

And in the process, making McKenna feel at home, whether it be having dinners at Matthews’ residence or living with Tavares and his family.

All done with the goal of making his transition to life in the hockey fishbowl that is Toronto more seamless.

“I think he kind of gets the gist of it,” Matthews said of McKenna. “I mean, it’s been a pretty hectic summer for him. I remember my draft year, all the bouncing around I had to do.

“The advice I’ve given him, given everybody? Just be yourself. Work hard, respect everybody. Learn as much as you can and have fun. And you can see that, being around him the past couple of weeks, he’s having fun.

“It’s obviously an exciting step, an exciting moment for he and his family, to accomplish his dreams and come here. … And we want to help him as much as we can. But he’s got a great head on his shoulders. He’s going to learn a lot and grow and get better, not just on the ice but life experience as well.”

McKenna admits part of that education has started just with him being around Tavares, whether at home, in the training room or at the rink.

“For me, with John welcoming me into his home, I think that just kind of shows the type of person he is,” McKenna said. “Such a good leader. And yeah, for me, I think with John, he’s been around the game for a while now and knows what it takes. For me, being a young guy, it’s huge for me to learn from a guy like that.

“One thing I’ve noticed is that he played 82 games last year, and I don’t think that comes without the off-ice stuff and the habits he has. So, for me, to be a young guy to try to learn from him early on in my career, hopefully I’ll have seasons like that where I can play 82 games and take care of my body. I think I’ve already noticed little habits that I can try to implement into my everyday life.

“For me, just having John welcome me in has been super special. I can’t thank him enough.”

Although the first official on-ice day at training camp is Thursday, McKenna has already been skating with his teammates for a couple of weeks. And from what coach Jim Hiller has seen in that short time frame, McKenna has gotten incrementally better every time out.

“I think anyone who’s been in the building and happened to watch him skate, he’s improved,” Hiller said. “He’s probably gaining confidence. He’s getting comfortable. All the things you’d expect. 

“I think his teammates appreciate his skill. I think that, in some of the scrimmages, he’s been able to showcase that a little bit. It’s a steady process but he’s taking steps forward, which is all you want.”

Hiller would not tip his hand as to who McKenna’s linemates will be to open camp. Or, for that matter, what goals, if any, the organization may have set for him.

“We’re going to be wise,” the coach said. “We’re not setting any ceiling for him at all. We’re going to let him dictate where he falls.

“Ultimately, we all know he’s going to be a tremendous player in the League. And I think he’s got great support around him. Auston’s been a No. 1 pick. John’s been a No. 1. You’ve also got William Nylander. You’ve got Matthew Knies who’s come in and done really well. He’s got (21-year-old) Easton Cowan, who’s in the process of coming in as a young player and is one of his peers in terms of age. So I think we’re really set up to have support around him.

“He’ll show us where he fits. We have no doubt one day he’ll bring us all out of our seats. (But) we’re not having the expectation or putting the pressure on him that he has to do that starting tomorrow when he hits the ice.”

McKenna was asked what his own goals are heading into his rookie NHL season.

“I obviously want to have high expectations for myself,” he said. “So you know, coming into a market like this, I think you know the expectations are going to be higher. So, for me, I think it’s a good motivator coming into a market like this where you know the eyes are on you and you’re going to hear it if you’re playing bad.”

McKenna said he went through that mixture of jeers and cheers last year while playing for Penn State, a journey that ended up being a tale of two seasons.

There were admittedly growing pains at the beginning, which comes as no surprise when a 17-year-old is playing against big-bodied, grown men. In his first 16 games he scored just four goals, igniting criticism that he wasn’t living up to the hype that had surrounded him when he went from the Canadian Hockey League to the Big Ten school.

That narrative changed when he returned for the second half of the season after representing Canada at the World Junior Championship in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, in late December and early January. 

Playing with far more confidence down the stretch, McKenna had 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in his final 19 games to finish the season with 51 (15 goals, 36 assists) in 36 games. Looking back, he says the early negativity during his Penn State stint fueled him to prove the naysayers wrong.

It’s a valuable lesson he said he’s bringing with him into the NHL.

“I’ve kind of learned how to deal with it the past few years, especially last year,” he said. “So, for me, I mean, some people might not like (the criticism) but, for me, I look at it as a blessing in disguise.”

How so?

“You know, last year I had kind of a slow start to the year and then kind of heard all the noise. So I started to work harder. 

“So, for me, I want to start this year as best I can and hopefully not hear that noise. But if I do, I think it’s a good motivator for me.”

Former Maple Leafs captain and franchise icon Wendel Clark understands what McKenna faces, both the good and the bad. Now an ambassador for the team, Clark was selected No. 1 by Toronto in the 1985 NHL Draft and quickly found out what it was like to be in the spotlight in this city, not an easy thing to deal with for a kid from the Canadian prairie town of Kelvington, Saskatchewan.

“That first year, or at least the time when you’re 18 to 19 or 20, you’re doing a lot of growing, not just as a hockey person but a person in general,” Clark said. “So we’re not expecting McKenna to come out and (dominate).

“I mean, if he does, awesome. But really, just come and grow and be part of the team and become a better hockey player and better person.”

Tavares already has seen signs of such growth in McKenna, who joined the veteran forward and his family at their Muskoka, Ontario, summer home last month.

“First and foremost, you can see he comes from a great family,” Tavares said. “He carries himself with maturity. I think the values that he has, first and foremost, and how he treats people.

“I think he’s extremely aware of his environment and what’s going on around him but is still, I think, soaking in everything and enjoying all the steps along the way.”

His next big step: the Maple Leafs season opener, health permitting, against the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena here Sept. 29.

It’s been a whirlwind 11 weeks since pop star and avid Maple Leafs fan Justin Bieber called out his name as Toronto’s No. 1 pick at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on June 26. Training sessions in Ontario and British Columbia. Throwing out the first pitch at a Toronto Blue Jays game. Attending a World Cup game in Toronto. Rookie orientation camp in Virginia. It’s been a lot, to be sure.

At the same time, he knows he’s fortunate. Many players selected No. 1 go to teams with marginal talent in the midst of a rebuild. In McKenna’s case, he comes to a skilled team with the likes of Tavares, Matthews, Nylander, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky -- the list goes on.

Here, he doesn’t have to be the guy to carry the franchise. Here, there are plenty of others to combine for that role.

As such, you could understand why he broke into a subtle grin when he glanced over at Matthews and Tavares at the press conference.

“For me, I’m very fortunate to come to a team like this, being the first overall pick,” McKenna said. “It’s not every day that happens, so super fortunate.

“And for me, I think my brain is what I want to bring. I think it’s going to be an adjustment to the NHL game, and I think it will take time. But for me, being a smart player, I can try to pick up those little habits from these guys, see what they’re doing, and ask for advice. I think, being a smart person, I can pick up on it quick.

“So yeah, very fortunate to have these guys around me. And for sure, if I need anything, I know I’ve got a lot of guys to lean on.”

“It’s very comforting.”