Aware of the Controversy, Gavin McKenna Takes Personal Jab at Toronto Media

Gavin McKenna has played just three NHL games, but the Toronto Maple Leafs rookie already knows what it’s like to play in a pressure-cooker market like Toronto. He was asked what his “welcome to the NHL” moment looks like and his response was a bit of a shot at the Toronto media noise.

After practice on Tuesday, Mark Masters asked the 18-year-old to name that moment. McKenna answered with a smile. When a player goes three games without a point in Toronto, he said, you hear about it, adding that “maybe that’s my welcome to the NHL.” David Alter, who was at the session, noted that McKenna pointed to his pointless start and was subtly taking a shot at how much the media wants to talk about it, and the fact he’s not been participating in most of the team’s optional skates.

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As McKenna is quickly learning, everything in Toronto is magnified. It’s not the right environment for everyone. If you’re not producing, it’s the hot topic of conversation, even for a rookie trying to get his footing in the NHL.

Not everyone is worried. Jason Gregor urged Leafs fans and media to relax, pointing out that Connor McDavid had just one point in his first four NHL games. McKenna isn’t McDavid, Gregor acknowledged, but scoring in the NHL isn’t easy, especially for a teenager, and he deserves a break. “Relax, give him time,” Gregor wrote.

Steven Stamkos, who knows what it’s like to go first overall, offered some perspective on the pressure. He said few people in Tampa knew who he was when he was drafted, so his experience was a “completely different set of circumstances.” Toronto, he said, is a “pressure cooker.” Stamkos described walking into his hotel the night before and finding the television dominated by Maple Leafs coverage, noting that few cities are like that.

McKenna Will Have To Get Used To This in Toronto

This is going to be something McKenna will have to manage as long as he’s with Toronto. His decision not to join an optional skate until Tuesday became big news in the market. However, it’s not clear that was his decision.

One commentator noted that McKenna would have joined Auston Matthews and others who opted to take the skate if the choice were his, and said the Leafs are simply managing their asset. Another critic took a sarcastic shot at those in the Toronto media scene who keep posting about McKenna’s lack of points, saying it is a great way to make a first overall pick feel at home and that the posts will only make it harder for him to get comfortable.

For now, McKenna appears to be treating the attention with humor rather than frustration. Hopefully he’s able to keep a level head and block out the noise. The scoring drought is only three games old, and the Leafs and their rookie have a long season ahead to turn the narrative around.

Next: Is Gavin McKenna Becoming a Problem? Leafs Fans Sound the Alarm After Multiple No‑Shows