Gavin McKenna won’t be heading to Gatineau, Que. with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Prospects Challenge roster this weekend, even though he was the headline name on Thursday’s announcement.
Toronto Marlies head coach Steve Sullivan confirmed Friday that the Leafs’ 2026 first overall pick will stay back while the team plays its two games at the event, facing the Ottawa Senators on Saturday and the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday.
“Gavin will not be travelling with us to Gatineau,” Sullivan told reporters at the Ford Performance Centre. “Management has made the decision to have him participate last night in the opening dinner, also have him practising with the group.”
McKenna did take part in practice with the rest of the roster, lining up on the left side with center Luke Haymes and Brandon Buhr on the right wing.
Sullivan said the decision was made with McKenna’s workload in mind.
“But what's best for him is to stay here, continue to train with the NHL players, and prepare for a big season,” Sullivan added. “Short training camp for them, they got an 84-game schedule.
He's got a lot coming in front of him, and he had a really, really busy summer. So for him, those three, four days in Gatineau is probably not beneficial for him.
So we think that staying back and preparing for the season is going to be best for him.
“Watching him in practice, he's impressive,” the Marlies bench boss added.
McKenna said he was simply following the team’s direction.
“I was just doing whatever the team wanted me to do,” McKenna reacted to the news. “Obviously, it would be fun to play some games, but if they think me staying here is best, then I'm okay with that, and I'll listen to what they want.
McKenna’s next chance for game action comes on Sept. 19, when Toronto plays two preseason games against the Montreal Canadiens, one at the Bell Centre and one at Scotiabank Arena.
The regular season opens Sept. 29 with the Maple Leafs’ home opener, which could also be McKenna’s first NHL game as he begins his rookie season.
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