A viral clip of Gavin McKenna shows exactly the emotion the Maple Leafs have been missing for a decade
Photo credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Gavin McKenna is known to be a bit of an aggressive player but a viral clip of him in the WHL proves he's exactly what Toronto has been missing for years.
While the debate continues about who the Toronto Maple Leafs should be picking with the first overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, all eyes are focused on Gavin McKenna. The consensus #1, he'd bring a dynamic, exciting and generational game to a team desperate for a jolt.
He would absolutely give the team the playmaking maestro they need and with questions about Auston Matthews sticking around; adding McKenna would be a great way to keep him in town.
We have all seen the absolute raw offensive talent from McKenna and for Toronto that's going to new a godsend considering the loss of Mitch Marner has really hurt them. But beyond that elite playmaking, McKenna is going to bring a feisty attitude to the lineup.
For all his offensive talent, Gavin McKenna can be a pretty mean dude
Considering what he did as a teenager in Medicine Hat - maybe Matthews is going to push even harder for him:
After McKenna was run into the boards on a fairly innocuous check, he decided to Shohei Ohtani his opponent's stick. While McKenna's shattered, he decided to lay in a shot and give the Oil Kings player a piece of his mind.
Knowing what happened to Matthews after Radko Gudas took him out, you'd have to wonder what lengths McKenna would go to in order to protect his teammates and that's a huge appeal for both Matthews and the Maple Leafs.
When you have an 18-year old filled with piss and vinegar, ready to take on everyone and has an attitude that plays into his advantage - that's extremely rare. Toronto already has Easton Cowan who is willing to scrap and get involved, so adding McKenna would only give them a boost.
Fans have pleaded for the team to show some passion on the ice so if the Maple Leafs want to earn their trust back, bringing in Gavin is a great start.
Why Toronto has seemed passionless in the postseason over the past 10 years
You can't fault the Maple leafs fanbase for getting frustrated and there are certainly a couple names you can point to, but it doesn't tell the entire story.
Forget the scoring and offensive side for a moment. Where was the passion? When Anthony Stolarz was elbowed by Sam Bennett, no one on the ice decided to take matters in their own hands. It's like they want to be as careful as possible not to upset the referees.
But when players are being targeted, take the two minutes. Auston Matthews was taken down by Radko Gudas and tore his MCL this season; if that happened in the playoffs and no one did anything then the fans would call for someone's head.
Look at the names brought in to add some passion, grit, and toughness to the lineup: Ryan O'Reilly, Nick Foligno, Ryan Reaves, Zach Bogosian, Luke Schenn, and Noel Acciari were all gritty, tough players who were expected to bring that playoff edge Toronto lacked.
Instead, it led to only two first round victories in ten years and the revolving door of players who just haven't fit the needs or performed their roles is only going to keep spinning unless GM John Chayka puts a stop to it.
He can do that by making sure Gavin McKenna is named the first overall pick, and Auston Matthews should probably be the one to announce the call himself.
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