Gavin McKenna gets his first preseason look in Maple Leafs colors Saturday night, set to open on the left side beside John Tavares and William Nylander when Toronto hosts the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena.
The puck drops at 7 p.m. ET, with TSN2, RDSI and TSN4 carrying the game. McKenna, the first selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, has spent Toronto’s first two training-camp practices with Tavares at center and Nylander on the right wing.
Quick facts
- Matchup: Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs
- Venue: Scotiabank Arena
- Time: Saturday, 7 p.m. ET
- Broadcast: TSN2, RDSI, TSN4
- Projected line: Gavin McKenna, John Tavares and William Nylander
Coach Jim Hiller plans to keep the message simple for the 18-year-old. Rather than load McKenna up with a long pregame talk, Hiller said the club’s experienced players are better placed to help him through the first-night nerves.
Hiller said he will offer McKenna a handshake, a pat on the back and one instruction: enjoy it. There will be nights when the Leafs require more from him, the coach said, but this is not the time to burden a rookie with that pressure.
The early camp read has been encouraging. Hiller has liked the way McKenna has distributed the puck with two proven NHL finishers, saying all three players have been moving it effectively rather than leaning on one primary playmaker.
One potential concern was whether McKenna might defer too much to Tavares and Nylander, passing up his own plays in an effort to feed the veterans. Hiller has not seen that tendency through the opening days of camp.
Instead, the coach described McKenna as grounded away from the ice and quietly sure of himself once the drills begin. Hiller said the winger is not forcing plays or playing selfishly; he has simply been recognizing the right option and making it.
Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, himself Toronto’s first overall pick in 2016, has also noticed how quickly McKenna has settled into camp. Matthews said the teenager arrived with confidence and immediately appeared comfortable around the group.
Matthews pointed to McKenna’s puck skill and ability to create plays when he has possession. He said the Tavares-Nylander-McKenna unit has clicked in practice, with three players capable of skating, making plays and creating trouble in one-on-one situations.
Saturday will be McKenna’s first chance to carry that early camp chemistry into a game setting, with a full Toronto building and a Canadiens jersey across the red line.
