Gavin McKenna breaks his silence on being benched

Gavin McKenna expressed his feelings on being benched vs. Buffalo and held no hard feelings towards Jim Hiller, and trusts his and the Maple Leafs' process.

The whole Maple Leafs fanbase was up in arms when Jim Hiller decided to give Gavin McKenna nine shifts for a total of 6:36 TOI against Buffalo, sitting him halfway through the second for the rest of the game.

It was a bizarre decision made even more puzzling by Hiller's explanation, where he 'wanted' to get McKenna in the game but seemed to either forget, or lost track of him somehow. It wasn't a good look for Hiller, and many wondered if the rookie may have felt slighted by his coach's decision.

McKenna unfazed by recent benching

However, for him it was nothing more than business, and he understands that the process is going to come with some bumps in the road - but he trusts them nonetheless:

We had a good talk. We have a good relationship together… He said it had nothing to do with my play, which is obviously nice to know... I trust him. I trust the team.

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McKenna's words seem to confirm the fact that Hiller wanted to get him in the game but simply forgot to, as it had nothing to do with his play. He only had one shot and was a minus-1 on the night, but nothing was egregious enough for him to be pulled.

Auston Matthews also seemed to believe that McKenna won't be bothered by Hiller's decision and knows that the rookie will bounce back, and given that the two have had some good chemistry early on - it starts tonight vs. New York.

Why there's nothing to worry about with Gavin McKenna

McKenna, 18, has been very good so far this year with five points in eight games, though he is a minus-3, and his defensive game while improving, still needs some work.

He's getting pushed off the puck too easily, and he needs a bit more awareness in his own end - but he's eight games into his NHL career, there's time. We were all concerned that he didn't score the first three games, then went on a bit of a tear. He's going to take his benching in stride, come back hungrier, and play a better game.

For goodness sakes, he's a teenager who is still not even old enough to drink legally in Ontario, so let's cut him some slack. Benching a rookie is part of the business, and it only becomes worrisome when a pattern emerges, or if it's a long-term issue that never gets resolved.

He's not taking the benching personally, and while we can question Hiller's motives and decisions at the end of the day, it's all part of the Maple Leafs' plan with Gavin McKenna and he's fully on board.

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