McKenna steps up, delivers at critical time in Maple Leafs win

TORONTO -- If Gavin McKenna has proven one thing so far in the infancy of his NHL career, it is that he does not shy away from big moments.

In his first meeting against Ivar Stenberg, who was selected by the San Jose Sharks with the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, McKenna, the No. 1 pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs, delivered the go-ahead goal and eventually game-winner, the first of his career, in a 3-1 victory at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.

“I think it’s just a confidence thing,” McKenna said. “For me, you want to be a guy who is known for those big moments, so when you get the time and opportunity to be out there on the ice, you want to make the most out of it. When you are playing with guys like Auston (Matthews), Willy (Nylander) and those guys, I think it just brings confidence in itself. So for me, it’s something I take a lot of passion in, is trying to be known as a guy able to perform in those situations.”

McKenna's goal came during a power play at 4:56 of the third period. Matthews recovered a rebound behind the net and sent a short pass to McKenna, who took the puck on his backhand before spinning toward the slot and shooting under the glove of Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov to give the Maple Leafs a 2-1 lead.

“Pretty fired up,” he said. “I think it’s a hard league to score in, so when you get to put one in the back of the net, it feels pretty good.”

It was a goal that put his poise on display.

Instead of immediately shooting, the 18-year-old showed patience. He used the time he realized he had and pulled the puck back, allowing Nylander to skate in front of him toward the near side of the net, which added another threat for Askarov to consider, before taking an extra step and shooting to the far side.

“He’s not shy of the moment at all,” said Matthews, Toronto's captain. “You give him a little time and space like he had there, he’s going to make something happen, and he did. He’s been flying these last couple games, and what happened a few nights ago, that stuff doesn’t shake him. He just keeps churning away. It’s impressive.”

What Matthews alluded to in that quote, of course, was the Maple Leafs' 5-4 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday. In that game, McKenna played only 6:36 and did not see another shift after the 10:20 mark of the second period.

McKenna handled the benching, though, with the maturity and poise he has come to display consistently since he was selected by the Maple Leafs.

“Obviously, you want to play, but yeah, (coach Jim Hiller and I) had a good talk,” McKenna said before the Maple Leafs' 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders on Saturday. “We have a good relationship together, me and Jim.

“He said it had nothing to do with my play, which is obviously nice to know. It doesn't really take away from your confidence at all, so (I) appreciated him reaching out, and I trust him.”

The story, which could have blown up in this hockey-crazed city, was essentially defused after McKenna’s comments.

He then went out against the Islanders and played a season-high 17:56, the third-highest among Maple Leafs forwards, and generated four shots on goal.

“For me, it’s just been this whole entire process, not looking backwards or forwards, just trying to be where your feet are,” McKenna said. “When you have a game like that against Buffalo, you want to bounce back, and I think even as a team we’ve just gotten better. Tonight (against the Sharks) was a huge step for us, and now we are right back at it tomorrow (at the Columbus Blue Jackets), so we have to be ready and play like we did tonight.”

Just like he did against the Nashville Predators on Oct. 6, when he scored his first NHL goal to bring the Maple Leafs to within one at 14:31 of the second period -- a game Toronto would go on to win 5-4 in overtime -- McKenna delivered at a critical time against the Sharks on Monday.

It's a moment that could become commonplace in Toronto.

“He’s just not afraid of the moment,” Hiller said. “He enjoys the moment. You saw the celebration tonight and you could say, ‘Shouldn’t everybody do that?’ There’s lots there, and you have to want to be that big-time player, and that’s what he has in spades.

“He’s just the same guy, and that’s what I love about him. He’s worn this high prospect title, he’s worn that for years, and he’s just really comfortable with it.”