Maple Leafs Notebook: McKenna ‘will remember this day forever’

TORONTO — The future Hall of Fame goaltender, the flashy leading point-getter, the loyal leading goal scorer, and the locally raised prized free agent defenceman were all introduced by name at Scotiabank Arena as the Toronto Maple Leafs took the ice for the first time in five months.

None of them received an ovation as loud as the one shown upon Gavin McKenna , No. 92 in your program and No. 1 on the draft board.

“To know I got this fan base behind me, it feels good,” the teenage phenom said, following his first game in his new barn. “When you hear that, you get almost chills. So, it was pretty cool.”

Cool that McKenna’s extraordinary vision and silky hands were on full display Saturday. In his first taste of pro hockey, McKenna flexed elite poise and made several buttery passes to billet dad John Tavares to generate scoring chances. He ripped three shots of his own and logged more than 19 minutes of ice, including looks on Toronto’s second power-play unit and at 6-on-5.

The rookie also committed a hooking penalty in the O-zone and coughed up a couple of pucks in the neutral zone. He stood out. He fit in. And, like the rest of an A group that dropped a 4-1 decision to the Montreal Canadiens split squad, he left room for improvement.

“I felt pretty good. I thought I created a bit but also had a couple turnovers, which I think kind of just happens with nerves,” McKenna said. “But I think it was a good start and a lot to build on.

Jim Hiller has already identified his youngest weapon as a smart self-evaluator and has no interest in being too critical too soon, lest McKenna start overthinking his game. The coach doesn’t want to pile any more pressure on a prospect that already arrives with sky-high hopes.

“In a game where I didn’t think there was a lot of offence from either team, he was in on three or four chances, so you'll take that every day,” Hiller said.

“If I say one thing to him, it’s just to be a little bit closer to the puck. We want him to have the puck. Sometimes in the NHL, you got to get right there and surround it, and then make plays out of that, rather than waiting to see if somebody can get it to you. So, he’ll figure that part of the game out.”

“It’s not easy. You jump into your first game after a very short two practices, and then right into a preseason game in the NHL. But he’s got a great head on his shoulders. He’s going to continue to get better as camp goes on, as he gets more comfortable and adjusts to this pace of play,” Matthews assessed. “But obviously he had moments out there where you can tell just how skilled and how talented he is.”

McKenna and Tavares carpool to camp every day from the leader’s west-end home, and the 18-year-old has only taken the wheel once so far. Tavares drove Saturday.

“I’m very lucky to be able to step on that ice for my first time with guys like Matthews, Knies, J.T., Willy, all those guys.