Gavin McKenna’s first season with the Maple Leafs comes with more than just the chance to learn from John Tavares. It also gives the teenage phenom a setup built to keep him healthy, fresh and on the ice.
McKenna will be rooming with Tavares for the 2026-27 season, and the arrangement already has him in good hands. He gets the obvious benefit of living alongside a veteran he can learn from, but there’s another layer here too: a full recovery and conditioning setup that could matter just as much over a long NHL season.
That becomes even more interesting because Brendan Brisson is in the same training camp mix and also staying with Tavares. Brisson called the household “a hockey player's dream,” pointing to the equipment that’s available there.
“He's got the saunas, the cold tubs, the Normatecs, the red light, everything to help your game and it's awesome to watch his everyday routine. Me and Gavin are making a few jokes but we're following along too.”
Brisson also shared a personal connection to Tavares, saying Tavares stayed with him during his rookie season is Los Angeles during the summer when he was eight years old. He added that Tavares later sent him protein powder after the two bonded over it following workouts or practice.
For Tavares, none of this is surprising. He’s been built for durability, and that shows in the numbers: the soon to be 36-year-old has missed only 14 games over the past five seasons.
For McKenna, the timing matters. The most games he’s played in a single season came in 2023-24, when he appeared in 75 total games - 61 with Medicine Hat and 14 combined with the U17’s and U18’s for Team Canada.
The jump to the NHL is a different level entirely. The pace is quicker, the contact is harder, and recovery stops being optional.
Living with Tavares gives McKenna immediate access to the tools, the routine and the advice that can help him handle all of it. He’ll be able to pick up guidance on how to manage post-game issues while using the same therapy and recovery resources that have helped keep Tavares going.
With Andy O'Brien added to the Sport Performance staff and Tavares’ home therapy lounge in the mix, McKenna has a real chance to stay available through the 2026-27 season while still bringing the same threat that has everyone excited about what he can add to the lineup.
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Gavin McKennas First Leafs Game Is Raising An Immediate Concern
Gavin McKenna is about to get his first preseason look with the Maple Leafs, and the early conversation around him has already moved beyond his skating and skill. The detail drawing attention is his listed weight, which comes in about 10 pounds below what was recorded at the NHL Draft Combine, a shift fans noticed right away as they started circling his first game in blue and white.
For Toronto, the question is less about a number on a chart and more about how his frame plays in actual NHL competition. The league has plenty of examples of smaller players finding success by leaning on pace, balance and quick decision-making, and McKenna fits that broader discussion as he begins his Leafs preseason path. There is no official sign of any health issue, but the size talk is going to follow him until he shows what he can do on the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Matthews Gave Leafs Fans One Reason To Exhale In Montreal
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Darren Raddysh scored Torontos lone goal, while rookie Gavin McKenna gave the club a glimpse of his playmaking touch even if the night included a penalty. For a Leafs team still sorting out its early preseason shape, the game was less about the scoreboard than the different levels of comfort shown by key veterans and younger pieces trying to carve out a role. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Fringe Forward Made An Early Statement In Montreal
Michael Pezzetta wasted little time making his presence felt in Montreal while skating with the Maple Leafs B-team in a game filled with fringe players and prospects. In the kind of preseason setting where jobs are being sorted out one shift at a time, he dropped the gloves with Canadiens forward Lucas Condotta and was ejected shortly after, a reminder that these games can still carry plenty of bite even without the regulars on the ice elsewhere.
The moment fit the tone of a roster battle more than a tune-up, with every involved player trying to leave an impression before camp decisions get tougher. Pezzettas early exit came before teammate Teddy Blueger also fought in the same game, adding another layer of edge to a matchup that had already turned physical and given the Leafs another bit of evidence about who is willing to make noise in a depth role. [Read more 🡒]