{"id":780142,"date":"2026-07-05T07:34:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T07:34:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/780142\/"},"modified":"2026-07-05T07:34:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T07:34:11","slug":"mckenna-highlights-compete-level-as-busy-week-in-toronto-continues-at-development-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/780142\/","title":{"rendered":"McKenna highlights \u2018compete level\u2019 as busy week in Toronto continues at development camp"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gavin McKenna did not hit the scoresheet in Saturday\u2019s scrimmage at Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a> development camp as his Team White fell 6-4 to Team Blue. <\/p>\n

\u201cTough loss, but it was fun to get out there and to play a game in the middle of the summer,\u201d the first-overall pick in last week\u2019s draft said. \u201cIt was very competitive and [there were] lots of plays being made, so it was a good time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably in a game like this today you\u2019re not seeing how good he can be,\u201d pointed out Leafs assistant general manager (player development) Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser, who oversaw the camp. \u201cIt\u2019s just difficult in this scenario.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pace of the scrimmage, which featured three 25-minute runtime periods, did not allow McKenna to flash his high-end skill quite as much, but the 18-year-old winger still found other ways to stand out. <\/p>\n

\u201cJust my compete,\u201d McKenna highlighted. \u201cI\u2019ve said it before, but being in this environment and having every other guy competing, I think it just pushes you to compete. [I\u2019m] very fortunate to be in this environment. I think it\u2019s helping me in the long run and I can already feel it. I\u2019m working harder out there and I feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKenna made some nice moves to maintain possession during a 6-on-5 sequence, which led to a goal late in the final frame. He also got loose for a breakaway chance earlier in the scrimmage.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been through a lot in the last month and I thought he did a great job throughout the week,\u201d Wickenheiser reviewed. \u201cYou can see the skillset is evident, his thinking, his ability to process, some of the small plays that he makes out here. Just overall he\u2019s done a great job of handling himself. Now he has to go and get some rest and then train and be ready for main camp. But it\u2019s a lot for a young kid like that in these last few weeks and he was really good.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKenna has no plan to wind down in the coming weeks, at least when it comes to hockey. Instead, the Penn State product wants to build momentum. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been super busy and, honestly, this is the least I\u2019ve been on the ice in an entire summer just with how busy I\u2019ve been,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, I want to get right back into it. Itching to get skating and get competing. I had a good taste of it today and this week but, yeah, I want to get back out there. I\u2019ll be training hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wickenheiser revealed that McKenna was so eager to get on the ice that he requested a 1-on-1 session with her before development camp even started. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a huge summer for me and [I\u2019m] just going to try and take it day by day,\u201d McKenna said. \u201cEvery single day is a day to get better. So, like I said, big summer and I gotta be dialled in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wickenheiser on ‘deep thinker’ McKenna: ‘IQ is off the charts’ Maple Leafs assistant GM of player development Hayley Wickenheiser met with the media after the first day of development camp to discuss bringing Gavin McKenna into the fold, what her first impressions are of him, and more. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a magical week for McKenna, who signed his three-year, entry-level contract on Friday with his parents Willy and Krystal watching. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt means the world to me,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a big step in my career so to have my family there and experience it with them, it was pretty special. It\u2019s something that I\u2019ve been working towards my whole life. You got the draft and then pen to paper, it\u2019s all coming together and it\u2019s been an amazing time.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKenna\u2019s Toronto adventure started last Saturday when he threw out the first pitch at a Toronto Blue Jays game. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I walk out there in front of 40,000 people all cheering you on, it was pretty special,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

The kid from Whitehorse enjoyed \u201chow cool the environment is\u201d around Canada\u2019s largest city this week. <\/p>\n

\u201cObviously it\u2019s a little different right now with the World Cup and stuff, but it\u2019s been amazing,\u201d he said. \u201cI got to go to a couple World Cup games, go to a Jays game and just seeing the city and the buzz around the city, it\u2019s been amazing. Yeah, I can\u2019t wait to finally call this place home.\u201d <\/p>\n

McKenna\u2019s favourite moment during the week came on Thursday night when he attended the round-of-32 match between Portugal and Croatia at Toronto Stadium. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an insane game,\u201d he said. \u201cWe had Drake four suites down from us … when that [Croatian] goal got called off, it was ridiculous in there, so a really cool environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Did he make eye contact with Drake? <\/p>\n

\u201cI tried to wave,\u201d McKenna said with a smile. \u201cHe didn\u2019t see it.\u201d <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

McKenna\u2019s week also included a phone call with newly-signed Leafs goalie Sergei Bobrovsky<\/a>, who also wears No. 72. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe texted me and we chatted on the phone,\u201d said McKenna, who was still sporting 72 in Saturday\u2019s scrimmage. \u201cYeah, any time you got a guy like that coming in who\u2019s been in the league for that long, won two Stanley Cups, I\u2019m not going to take his number, so it was pretty easy for me to just give it to him. I think he\u2019s a staple in this league so, as an 18-year-old kid you\u2019re not going to take his number.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKenna\u2019s preferred back-up choices, 9 and 27, are both retired by the Leafs. So, after some deliberation, he\u2019s decided to go with No. 92. <\/p>\n

\u201cNine and 27 are up in the rafters and wanted to have a little bit of both in there so 92,\u201d he explained. \u201cNine replacing the seven.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKenna will be the fourth player to wear No. 92 with the Leafs, following in the footsteps of Alexander Nylander, Igor Ozhiganov and TSN Hockey analyst Jeff O\u2019Neill.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

McKenna played Saturday\u2019s scrimmage on a line with Rogle centre Tinus Luc Koblar, a second-round pick (64 overall) last year, and Owen Sound Attack forward Harry Nansi, who was a fifth-round pick (153 overall) last year. <\/p>\n

\u201cGav, he sees the ice very well, so if you\u2019re open, you know you\u2019re going to get that puck on your stick,\u201d Nansi said. \u201cHe\u2019s highly skilled and I was fortunate enough to play with him today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nansi, who stands 6-foot-3, 179 pounds, scored a goal and earned a positive review from Wickenheiser. <\/p>\n

\u201cHarry\u2019s been our most improved prospect,\u201d Wickenheiser declared. \u201cHe\u2019s very gifted physically. I don\u2019t know if he\u2019s realized, himself, how strong he can be. There\u2019s a couple plays down low here where I was thinking, \u2018Just take it to the net,\u2019 and he deferred to a pass. Those are just little areas where I think that\u2019s the next level for him, but we\u2019re very excited about the player he can be. His skating still has a ways to go, but it\u2019s come a long way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nansi spent all of last summer working on his skating with Leafs consultant Paul Matheson. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve improved in puck battles,\u201d Nanis noted. \u201cMy skating has helped me be more stable on the ice and get knocked down less in the corners.\u201d <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Nansi did get bowled over by Notre Dame winger William Belle in the final seconds of the scrimmage, which led to an empty-net goal. <\/p>\n

\u201cBefore the game he said he was going to try and find me,\u201d Nansi said with a smile. \u201cJust a thick, thick guy out there. Like, you know when he\u2019s out there you gotta keep your head up and make sure he doesn\u2019t get you like he did with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Belle, a fifth-round pick by the Leafs last year (137 overall), is an imposing figure at 6-foot-4, 218 pounds, and did not hesitate to throw his weight around despite it being a summer scrimmage. <\/p>\n

\u201cWilliam Belle out there is making some hits,\u201d Wickenheiser said. \u201cHe\u2019s finishing every check, which is kind of what he has to do. [We] encourage the players to, \u2018Play to your identity, be who you are,\u2019 but obviously there\u2019s a line in the summertime that you want to be careful. But I thought they [all] did a really good job of playing hockey.\u201d<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Koblar, who led Norway in scoring during a run to the bronze medal at the recent IIHF World Championship, fit in well beside McKenna. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s easy to play with such guys and you can just read off of them and what they\u2019re going to do and go up in open space and he\u2019ll find you,\u201d Koblar said. \u201cIt was amazing playing with him.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cYou can see the separation that him and Gavin have and the way they think,\u201d Wickenhesier said. \u201cThey played that pro game in the World Championships. He\u2019s a bit of a man out here. You can see that, and so it\u2019s just about building on that. I thought he did a good job throughout the whole week.\u201d<\/p>\n

Koblar will spend the next week in Toronto working more with the team\u2019s development staff. Of course, he\u2019ll be glued to the television for Norway\u2019s round-of-16 match in the World Cup against Brazil on Sunday. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf they play as they have been doing this tournament I think they can beat them,\u201d Koblar said. \u201cIt\u2019s been amazing. I kind of can draw some comparisons to us in the World Championship. They are doing the same journey and they can go far.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, does Koblar see himself in the Erling Haaland role for Norwegian hockey right now? <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I don\u2019t know,\u201d he said quickly with a smile. \u201cHe\u2019s an amazing player. He\u2019s already at the top. I\u2019m just starting my career.\u201d<\/p>\n

Norway\u2019s third-place finish at the Worlds marked their first ever medal at the event. <\/p>\n

‘Wanted to prove how good I am’: Leafs prospect Koblar accelerated development during historic Norway run Tinus Luc Koblar led the way as Norway claimed its first ever World Championship medal. The 18-year-old Leafs prospect scored six goals while holding his own against NHL players, including idol Sidney Crosby. Koblar reflected on the experience and his growth this season. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Guelph Storm centre Tyler Hopkins, a third-round pick last year (86 overall), scored a goal and added an assist in Saturday\u2019s scrimmage. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe nerves haven\u2019t really hit as much as they were the first time,\u201d the 19-year-old from Campbellville, Ont. said. \u201cI feel a little bit more confident on the ice with the puck on my stick and making plays.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hopkins also scored on a smooth move in the shootout game at the end of the scrimmage. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe is a really smart, cerebral player,\u201d Wickenheiser said. \u201cHe is here every day training in our facility. The big thing for most of these guys is strength and physical fitness to build on the foundations that they have. Expect him to have a good season next year with Guelph hosting the Memorial Cup as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hopkins confirmed he plans to train out of the Leafs facility throughout the rest of the summer.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

This marked the third Leafs development camp for Miroslav Holinka, but it\u2019s the first time the 2024 fifth rounder (151 overall) felt comfortable enough to step in front of the cameras for a scrum with reporters. <\/p>\n

\u201cPractising on my hockey performance, but my English is not pretty good, but is a little better than last year or years ago,\u201d the 20-year-old from Czechia said. \u201cLike a person, like a player, I want to be better.\u201d<\/p>\n

How does the Edmonton Oil Kings forward work on improving his English? <\/p>\n

\u201cI try watch everything in English and I have a couple friends from Oil Kings so I try to call them every second day,\u201d he said. \u201cI try, but it\u2019s hard … My best friend is my billet brother, Gavin Hodnett, [Oil Kings] captain, so I call with him, like, every week.\u201d <\/p>\n

One of his other friends from the Oil Kings is defenceman Ethan MacKenzie, who was drafted in the third round by the Leafs (69 overall) on Saturday. <\/p>\n

\u201cOur first year, when he came, he barely could speak any English,\u201d MacKenzie told TSN in a recent interview<\/a>. \u201cIt was a couple sentences at a time and you had to be pretty slow and methodical the way you talk to him. But over the past couple of years, we got super close and his English got a lot better and we just were able to joke around and just have a great time. I loved every second being with him so I\u2019m super pumped to be able to play with him again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Holinka got into one game with the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League after the Oil Kings season ended. His goal is to make the Marlies next season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really like Miro,\u201d Wickenheiser said. \u201cYou can see he\u2019s a smart player. He had a really good year with Edmonton. We were working with Miro just on pace, skating, and getting physically ready and prepared to play with the Marlies next year. But he is a smart hockey player. He made some nice plays out here today. We really like him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Holinka produced 80 points in 59 games in the Western Hockey League last season. <\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Leafs senior executive advisor Mats Sundin addressed the prospects as part of the development camp. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe said that when his family came over here there was no hockey on the TV, no talking about hockey, because he was just doing his job,\u201d relayed defenceman Victor Johansson, whose father played with Sundin on Djurgardens in the Swedish Hockey League during the 1989-90 season. \u201cThat\u2019s one of the things [that resonated is that] outside of the rink you\u2019re a person and you have other stuff to do and when you come here you do your job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alexander Bilecki, who was a second-round pick (60 overall) in last week\u2019s draft, called it a \u201cwhirlwind moment\u201d when Sundin called to welcome him to the organization. What did he take from the Hall of Famer\u2019s hot-stove discussion at development camp? <\/p>\n

\u201cHe told us a lot about his career and how ritualistic he was,\u201d the Kitchener Rangers defenceman said. \u201cIt\u2019s all about routines and setting goals and sticking to them but also being structured and having a thorough plan. [It\u2019s] about how you go about your days and being a pro, really, and that\u2019s something we can all learn from and take from him and use it in our careers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sundin, who played 13 seasons with the Leafs, also hit on the theme of teamwork. <\/p>\n

\u201cMats\u2019 message was a lot around the ability to make your teammates better,\u201d Wickenheiser said. \u201cHow can I make my teammates better? How can I make myself better? But then also the ability to come and work very hard at what you\u2019re doing and then be able to shut it off and rest when you leave the rink. So, the consistency that comes with that and having a long career, I would say those are his two messages.\u201d<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

The Leafs signed defenceman Emil Andrae<\/a> to a two-year contract, which carries a $1.55 million annual average value. The 24-year-old Swede had been a restricted free agent. <\/p>\n

The team plans to hold a Zoom session for reporters with Andrae next week. He has not spoken to the media since being acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers<\/a> on June 16. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Gavin McKenna did not hit the scoresheet in Saturday\u2019s scrimmage at Toronto Maple Leafs development camp as his…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":780143,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[556],"tags":[16159,64,63,575,85,113126],"class_list":["post-780142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-apple-news","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nhl","tag-sports","tag-toronto-maple-leafs-sports-hockey-team-team-nhl-api-10"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/780142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=780142"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/780142\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/780143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=780142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=780142"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=780142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}