Gavin McKenna gets painfully honest about his Maple Leafs teammates
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Gavin McKenna is not waiting for a veteran to speak up. The 18-year-old rookie is addressing the Toronto Maple Leafs' habit of sluggish starts head on, and he is including himself in the message.
Toronto dropped a 4-2 decision to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday and hosts the New Jersey Devils on Sunday night.
According to Hockey Patrol, the Leafs have yet to beat a divisional opponent this season, and the first overall pick chose accountability over excuses.
Might just be an energy thing. Tough schedule, but at the end of the day, that's the NHL. Each guy in this room has got to hold themselves accountable to being prepared.
Even me being a young guy, I can try to influence that a little bit, have better starts to games, and hopefully that can snowball to my teammates
Even me being a young guy, I can try to influence that a little bit, have better starts to games, and hopefully that can snowball to my teammates
A Rookie Taking Ownership
Few players in their first NHL season would volunteer to set the standard in a dressing room that includes Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
McKenna did exactly that, framing the issue as a shared responsibility rather than a shot at any one teammate.
His own track record backs up the message. The 2026 first overall pick has already shown flashes in Toronto, including his first NHL goal in an overtime win over Nashville, and he has spoken before about learning accountability from his former coach, Willie Desjardins.
What Toronto Needs Next
The Leafs host Colorado, Minnesota and Edmonton at Scotiabank Arena over the next week, giving McKenna's message an immediate test.
Slow starts have a way of turning winnable nights into uphill battles, and urgency can only be demanded by coaches for so long before it has to come from the players.
A teenager asking for it publicly adds pressure, but it also gives the room a clear target: be ready for the opening puck. If McKenna backs his words with fast starts of his own, the veterans will have little room to push back.
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