What Happened
Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Gavin McKenna saw a season-low 6:36 of ice time over nine shifts in Thursday night's overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres, according to Sportsnet. He did not play in the third period or overtime, with his last shift coming midway through the second. Head coach Jim Hiller said the benching was his call after the Maple Leafs took a string of penalties, and that he regretted not getting McKenna back on the ice at the start of the third.
Key Details
- McKenna finished with 6:36 of ice time on nine shifts, a season low.
- He did not appear in the third period or overtime; his final shift was midway through the second.
- Toronto killed back-to-back minors to Oliver Ekman-Larsson (14:35) and Morgan Rielly (18:07) in the second period.
- Hiller said he wanted to get McKenna out there and that the situation was on him.
- McKenna, the 2026 first-overall pick, had five points in his previous four games.
- Before Thursday, he averaged 15 minutes of ice time across seven games.
What It Means
McKenna's ice time had been climbing before Thursday, with five points in four games after a pointless first three. A season-low six-plus minutes interrupts that run and puts attention on how Toronto manages the 2026 first-overall pick when penalty trouble compresses the bench. Hiller publicly accepted responsibility, which suggests the two will discuss the third-period usage.
What's Next
Hiller said he planned to talk with McKenna about the third-period usage. Toronto's next game will show whether the rookie returns to his earlier workload of about 15 minutes per night.