The Toronto Maple Leafs made Gavin McKenna the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. McKenna joined the Maple Leafs with a lot of buzz thanks to his work in the WHL and at Penn State last year. On Saturday, he made his preseason debut against the Montreal Canadiens.

Toronto did not get the result they wanted, with Montreal winning 4-1. Still, it was a successful debut for the young winger. He played with confidence and flashed the creativity that made him a special prospect. After the game, McKenna reflected on his preseason debut.

“That starting lineup call was pretty cool,” McKenna said, via NHL.com. “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.”

The Canadiens opened the scoring in the second period when Philip Danault found the back of the net. Toronto tied it thanks to a power play goal later in the middle frame. However, the Habs scored three in the third period to pull away on Saturday night.

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“I thought it was good,” Toronto coach Jim Hiller said of McKenna's performance. “In a game where I didn’t think there was a lot of offense from either team, he was in on three or four chances so you’ll take that every day. I thought he was good, good start for him.”

This was a split-squad game, meaning these teams played separate games with different rosters on the same night. The Canadiens won that other matchup in front of their home fans, taking it 4-3 in overtime.

McKenna did not score, but his preseason is far from over. He has a chance to get on the scoresheet on September 23 when the Maple Leafs play another split-squad matchup with the Ottawa Senators.