Gavin McKenna played his first game for the Maple Leafs and already had the crowd firmly behind him which is something that Mitch Marner never ended up receiving.
It was the night everyone was hotly anticipating as Gavin McKenna finally took the ice for the Maple Leafs in game action. The first overall pick has high expectations from the fanbase while also trying to manage his own lofty goals, and he had a solid night.
Though he was kept off the scoresheet, McKenna showed a lot of confidence early on and set up a few nice chances for his teammates though they couldn't capitalize. Finishing the night with nearly 21 minutes played, three shots and a block, it was a solid debut for the rookie sensation.
McKenna stunned by crowd reaction after making Maple Leafs debut
Whenever he touched the puck the crowd seemed to explode, something that wasn't lost on the Maple Leafs forward. Addressing the media after the game, McKenna explained how the crowd reaction was unbelievable and that he had literal chills due to the response:
It was super cool. To know I've got this fanbase behind me, it feels good. When you hear that, you almost get chills.
Just everything, being out there with the guys, the talent in this room, very lucky to be able to step out there on that ice for my first time with guys like Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, J.T. (John Tavares), Willy (Nylander). I'll remember this day forever.
Sure it wasn't a perfect night for McKenna and the goals and points will come in due time. But the fact he was able to drive the offensive side, while also managing not to crumble under the spotlight is a great sign of things to come in Toronto.
Mitch Marner never had this type of love from Leafs Nation
But if there's one thing to take away from McKenna is the immediate love he got from the Leafs fanbase. Someone who never experienced that was Mitch Marner, who despite being a fantastic player for Toronto, was often under fire from the crowd.
Whether it be due to his perceived attitude issues, lack of playoff production (despite stats saying otherwise) or a general dislike of his camp - there was always criticism. McKenna feels like he can do no wrong, or if he does fail, will at least have the fans not harping on him nearly as much.
McKenna didn't score despite everyone wanting him to, but no one left Scotiabank Arena thinking that he needs to do more.
If Marner were still here and didn't produce, it's unlikely fans would ignore it as quickly. Now, this doesn't guarantee McKenna is immune to criticism, but it certainly feels like he can get away with more compared to what Marner could previously.
There's going to be another chance for McKenna to prove that he's everything he's hyped up to be, and with one game under his belt perhaps that confidence will grow even further. For now though, the Maple Leafs fans are simply too excited to care about the stats right now.
They're just thrilled to see McKenna take the ice, and it sounds like he was just as excited to play in front of hockey's most passionate fans.
Do you think that Gavin McKenna already won over the Maple Leafs fans?
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Latest update on Dakota Joshua is bad news for the Maple Leafs