McKenna turns heads while skating beside Tavares, Nylander in first Leafs practice

The Toronto Maple Leafs held the first practices of training camp on Thursday at the Ford Performance Centre.

First overall pick Gavin McKenna is starting on the second line. The 18-year-old left winger slotted in beside centre John Tavares and right winger William Nylander during Thursday’s first on-ice session at Maple Leafs training camp.

“It feels good knowing that the staff has confidence in me and [is] putting me with those type of players,” McKenna said.

Newly minted head coach Jim Hiller insists there’s not one big reason why McKenna is starting in that spot although he did highlight the fact that the rookie will be living with Tavares this season.

“John’s detailed, so that probably helps him,” Hiller noted. “They can go home and talk about anything, if he has any questions for him at the end of the day.”

Hiller admits the biggest challenge for the new combination will come in the defensive zone.

“That’s really going to be on John and Willy to do their job extremely well and help Gavin along the way,” Hiller said.

At the other end of the ice, McKenna should be able to help Tavares, who led the Leafs in goals last season, and Nylander, who led the team in points, create plenty of offence.

“I mean, the playmaking is elite,” gushed Tavares. “You can already see times when he gets out there and you think he doesn’t have much room, time and space, and his ability to make a play out of nothing. The puck control and the puck skill is off the charts.”

“We had some very good opportunities just today in practice when we were out there,” Nylander noted.

Earlier this week, TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston reported that the Leafs decided not to immediately play McKenna on the top line with Auston Matthews because they didn’t want to put too much on his plate early on.

Matthews was flanked by Matthew Knies and free-agent addition Jack Roslovic on Thursday. Matthews and Roslovic also played together during their junior days at the U.S. National Team Development Program.

“Auston really likes Rosie’s game,” Hiller said. “He likes the skill. He likes how he can complement him. He carries the puck through the neutral zone, a really good skater.”

The new combinations will debut on Saturday when the Leafs open the pre-season schedule with split-squad games against the Montreal Canadiens.

“You spend all summer doing this and then, as you guys know, the second period of the second game, it looks different,” Hiller cautioned. “This is the plan for now, but nothing is set in stone.”

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Nylander celebrated the Leafs draft lottery win while attending a Toronto Marlies game with Knies on May 5.

“It’s a game changer and we were fired up,” Nylander recalled.

McKenna is already showing off some of his game-changing ability at training camp. One play, in particular, stood out for Hiller on Thursday. McKenna appeared to be cornered by defensive stalwart Chris Tanev during a drill.

“I saw him dance away and make a nice little backhand sauce pass into space,” Hiller said. “That jumps out at you. I thought Tanev was going to contain him. I thought, ‘This will be interesting to see.’ He was able to elude him and make a play out of that. So those are the things that you’re just standing there and you see them and you go, ‘OK, that’s a high level.’ That’s what he’s going to have to be able to do against veteran NHL defencemen when the real games start.”

Tavares and Nylander have played together a lot in recent years, but they’ve never really had a playmaker quite like McKenna on their line.

“Gavin’s ability to make plays through traffic is elite,” Tavares said. “That is, I think, what makes him really special is his ability to make plays not just when he has time and space, but in traffic.”

McKenna also appears to be stronger than his 5-foot-11, 170-pound frame suggests.

“Even though he’s not the biggest guy, you know, you can tell how firm he is on the stick,” Tavares observed. “I think he’s got some of that natural hockey strength.”

McKenna perked up when that comment from Tavares was relayed.

“That’s obviously a good compliment from John,” the Whitehorse, Yukon, native said. “He’s got one of the best sticks I’ve ever seen. That’s something I tried to work on this summer. Coming to the NHL, guys are going to be heavy on their sticks and it’s going to be hard to strip pucks and be hard on that stick. I think it’s also smarts. You need to know where to put your stick and when to move it. It’s something I’ve developed over the years and it’s a big key to the game if you want to have the puck on your stick.”

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Living with Tavares may help McKenna maintain his strength amid the grind of an 84-game season. Tavares, who will turn 36 on Sunday, is well known for his off-ice recovery routines.

“He’s got everything you need,” said the 24-year-old forward Brendan Brisson, who is also living with the Tavares family during training camp. “I mean, he’s got the saunas, the cold tubs, the Normatec [compression therapy], the red light [therapy], everything to help your game and it’s awesome to watch his every-day routine. Me and Gavin are maybe making a few jokes about it but we’re also following along a bit too.”

Brisson, who signed a one-year deal with the Leafs earlier this month, skated in the group with players destined to start the season in the American Hockey League. He is the son of agent Pat Brisson, who represents Tavares.

“It’s pretty dialled,” Brisson said of life in the Tavares household. “He’s very structured. It’s cool for me and Gavin to see that.”

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McKenna had his moments on Thursday, but Hiller identified another young player as the stand-out performer at the first practice.

“If I had to say who was the player that just jumped out at you in this morning’s session, for me it would be Easton Cowan,” Hiller declared. “He made some plays with the puck, but he was a puck hound. He was everywhere. And, you know, we talked to him about that. He’s got tremendous skill but where he can help us best is be a puck hound and then use that skill. To me, he was all over the ice.”

Cowan, who produced 29 points in 66 games as a rookie with the Leafs last season, skated beside newcomers Nick Paul and Colton Sissons on the third line. That trio could be an effective checking line.

“I see it as more than that,” Hiller stressed. “That’s a line that should be able to play against the other team’s best players, but also push them offensively because those three players, they can score goals. Easton can be the straw that stirs the drink from an offensive perspective and keep the other team’s best line honest.”

Cowan, 21, projects to be the second youngest player on the Leafs this season behind only McKenna.

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Tanev practised with the Leafs for the first time since sustaining a season-ending injury in December. The 36-year-old defenceman underwent core muscle surgery in March and was cleared to play again on the eve of training camp.

Tanev skated alongside Jake McCabe at practice. That duo formed a dominant shutdown unit during the 2024-25 season.

“We really feel like, if we [want to] create a shutdown pair, who are two defencemen that, if you’re the other team’s best line, you would least like to play against,” Hiller said. “And I think it’s probably those two.”

Big off-season acquisition Darren Raddysh paired up with Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

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Morgan Rielly skated in a separate group while wearing a red no-contact sweater. General manager John Chayka announced on Wednesday that the defenceman will be ramped up slowly after dealing with a “viral condition” recently.

When is the 32-year-old expected to rejoin the main group?

“I don’t know,” Hiller said. “I’m hoping he’ll be back out there next week but we’ll play it by ear.”

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Sergei Bobrovsky practised while wearing a plain white mask on Thursday. The free-agent signing is still awaiting a new design as he gets to work with his new team.

“We just met and we spoke a little bit,” said Leafs goalie prospect Artur Akhtyamov. “He’s kind of a great guy. I like him. Probably he still my favourite goalie. I like to see him and I like how he works hard.”

Like many in the hockey world, Akhtyamov was surprised to see Bobrovsky leave the Florida Panthers and join the Leafs in the off-season. He’s grateful for the chance to learn from his countryman.

“Probably I am still nervous when I see him,” Akhtyamov said. “He’s a superstar. He’s one of the best goalies in this league.”

The 24-year-old is already being inspired by Bobrovsky’s work ethic.

“He does lots of workout, lots of stretching,” said Akhtyamov. “When I came in our gym room, he’s every time here.”

Akhtyamov, who backstopped the Toronto Marlies to a Calder Cup title last spring, is No. 3 on Toronto’s goalie depth chart. He made his NHL debut last season posting an .877 save percentage in three games with the Leafs.

“I think I play not really well my first games in NHL,” he said. “I try to work hard this season, this preseason, and I hope I’m going to be ready for next chance.”

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Thursday’s practice was the first one for new Leafs associate coach Daniel Alfredsson. It was strange to see the former Ottawa Senators captain wearing a blue tracksuit and coaching up Matthews, Tavares and Nylander.

“The past is the past,” said Hiller. “He was obviously a great player for Ottawa but now he’s going to be a great coach for the Maple Leafs and that’s all that really matters.”

“Yeah, it’s different, but it’s exciting,” Tavares said with a smile. “Heck of a career. Helluva competitor. Really excited to learn from him and have him impact the group in a lot of ways.”

Alfredsson, whose contract as a Senators assistant coach concluded after last season, surprised the hockey world by switching sides in the Battle of Ontario and joining Hiller’s staff.

“I was shocked as well,” said Nylander. “We have a mutual friend in common and he never said anything about it so it came as a complete shock, but I was obviously very happy that it happened.”

While Alfredsson helped out on the ice, Mats Sundin watched from the sideline with the rest of Leafs management. Sundin signed on to serve as a senior executive advisor as part of the front-office makeover.

“It’s pretty crazy, actually, I mean, to be honest, seeing two Swedish legends every day,” Nylander said. “Actually, I haven’t really thought about it, but it’s pretty crazy.”

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The Leafs emergency back-up goalie this season will be 27-year-old Mississauga, Ont. native Brendan Bonello. He last played in the 2021-22 season when he suited up in a handful of games with York University and the Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL.

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Lines at Thursday’s practice:

Group 1

Knies – Matthews – Roslovic

McKenna – Tavares – Nylander

Cowan – Paul – Sissons

Joshua – Blueger – Duhaime

Lorentz

Ekman-Larsson – Raddysh

McCabe – Tanev

Andrae – Danford

Blankenburg – Stecher

Bobrovsky

Stolarz

Bonello

Group 2

Groulx – Koblar – Lettieri

Quillan – Haymes – Tverberg

Sim – Johnstone – Pezzetta

MacEwan – Rybinski – Brisson

Rifai – Myers

Mermis – McWard

Chadwick Borgesi

Smith – Bilecki

Akhtyamov

Hlavaj

Bonello