Wayne Gretzky believes Gavin McKenna is handling the expectations surrounding his arrival with the Toronto Maple Leafs better than most 18-year-olds would.
McKenna was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and after the Leafs drafted him he was forced to begin his career in the biggest and one of hockey’s most scrutinized markets.
Appearing on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show,” Gretzky praised the rookie’s response to that pressure during his brief time with the organization.
“There’s a lot of pressure when you get the first pick overall,” Gretzky said. “My hat goes off to this young man. It’s one thing to go to Toronto, be the first pick overall, and there’s way more pressure if you’re a Canadian boy and you get drafted number one by Canada than Toronto.”
Gretzky, the greatest player in NHL history, said McKenna’s maturity has stood out as he has navigated the attention surrounding his debut.
“I’ve listened to a lot of what he said,” Gretzky said. “He seems like he’s very mature for 18 years old. He’s a young kid. He’s not very big, but he’s going to grow and get stronger. I really like the way he’s handled himself, the media and the game itself. He’s going to be fine.”
McKenna’s NHL debut Tuesday, however, was uneven. He played 15:19 and finished without a point, recording one shot and a minus-2 rating in Toronto’s 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
The rookie wasn’t much better on Wednesday as Toronto beat the New York Islanders 2-1 for its first victory under coach Jim Hiller, recording one shot and finishing with a rating of zero across 15:32 of ice time.
Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
In any case, Gretzky is optimistic about the team surrounding Toronto’s prized rookie and its outlook.
“I think the group in Toronto is putting together a nice little hockey club here,” Gretzky said. “I think they’re going to be a better team this year than people anticipate.”
The Leafs will next host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.
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