Several Toronto Maple Leafs players took to social media to get hyped for their future teammate Gavin McKenna after he was drafted first overall.
Gavin McKenna is the newest member of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the excitement is absolutely through the roof. He's generational talent who has the ability to turn the franchise's hopes around and be the next big superstar to not only take over the NHL - but bring Toronto closer to glory.
Scotiabank Arena was thumping on Friday as the draft party erupted once Justin Bieber announced McKenna's selection, and many Maple Leafs fans across the world were now all hoping for the same thing: What McKenna's going to do next.
McKenna and Leafs Nation are excited but none may be more thrilled than his teammates
He's got a ton of pressure and hype around him though tends to thrive in that type of situation. He knows how important it is to be in Toronto and be a winner, and he'll certainly get his wish to be a villain everywhere else he'll go.
But as much as the fans and McKenna are excited about what's next, so too are his now-teammates.
Various members of the Maple Leafs took to social media to repost and comment on the team's selection of Gavin McKenna. Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, William Nylander, Steven Lorentz, Max Domi and even Darren Raddysh all welcomed McKenna:
-
-
-
It's a small gesture, but the speed if it spoke to how much excitement there already is around adding McKenna to this groups.
You can already see that McKenna is bringing the group together and they haven't even touched the ice. Everyone knows the type of player and person the 18-year old phenom is and are excited to not only get the chance to play with him, but learn who he is and how special his story really is.
Gavin McKenna will bring just as much passion as he will accountability to the Maple Leafs
Now before we get ahead of ourselves and start putting milestones on his career before he touches the ice, there's a lot more to be excited for than the on-ice product. Someone who is in love with the city and its people often find themselves endeared a lot sooner than later.
For example, for the Blue Jays - Ernie Clement went from relative unknown to beloved fan favorite but it wasn't just for his play. He was constantly a part of the city, he would take public transit, he'd walk to the games and say hi to fans, take pictures, just chat. He wasn't a professional athlete; he was your buddy Ernie.
Far too often athletes are put on such a high pedestal that we forget their humanity. But when you have someone like McKenna, like Clement, who take the time to really hunker down and become a part of the community it creates a sense of relatability that is rarely seen.
But even more than that, McKenna will admit to his faults and if he lets the city down in any facet, he's not going to hide from it. He'll own up to it and work twice as hard to make it up to everyone because that's just the type of person he is.
Toronto has had their fair share of superstar, high-profile talent throughout all their various sports teams but Gavin McKenna seems to be a little bit different. He's as humble as he is talented, as grateful as he is confident.
The Maple Leafs found someone quite unique in the 'Wizard of Whitehorse' and his magic will no doubt extend beyond the ice.
Are you excited that Gavin McKenna is part of the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Beyond the first overall pick the Maple Leafs found some real gems