Gavin McKenna responds after getting benched by Jim Hiller

After being benched by head coach Jim Hiller for the first time in a Leafs uniform, the first overall pick said the two sat down and cleared the air. McKenna left that meeting reassured about where he stands.

The reaction matters. Benchings carry a heavy label in Toronto, a market that dissects every shift, and an 18-year-old carrying the weight of a No. 1 selection could easily have read the move as a statement on his game. McKenna instead framed it as a conversation between two people who respect each other.

Hiller said after the Oct. 15 game against the Buffalo Sabres that the decision was his, and McKenna's comments line up with that message.

That consistency between player and coach is a good sign for a team blending a teenage talent into a veteran room. Hiller has preached patience with McKenna since camp, urging him to stay in the moment and let his development unfold without panic.

Sitting a player for reasons unrelated to performance is a common way coaches manage matchups and lineup balance, and McKenna appears to understand that.

For the Leafs, the best outcome is a rookie who keeps his confidence intact. McKenna has shown flashes, including his first NHL goal, and the organization clearly wants him comfortable rather than rattled.

His trust in Hiller and the group suggests the benching will be a footnote rather than a turning point.

Next comes the chance to answer on the ice. Leafs fans will be watching closely to see how McKenna responds in the games ahead, and whether the early growing pains give way to the impact expected from the top pick.

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