Gavin McKenna just got a rude awakening from Toronto fans and media

The Toronto Maple Leafs handed Gavin McKenna the keys to the franchise when they selected him first overall, and three games into his NHL career, the spotlight is already blazing. But it's not the speed of the game or the physicality that caught the young forward off guard. It's the Toronto media.

Speaking to reporters after Tuesday morning's optional skate, McKenna was asked about his biggest "welcome to the NHL" moment so far. His answer drew laughs from the assembled media scrum.

"I mean, I think just how hard it is," McKenna said. "You come in, you believe in yourself, and I still believe in myself, but yeah, when you're, you know, especially in the Toronto media putting up 0 points in 3 games, I hear about it."

The quip landed with a smirk, but the underlying reality is real enough. McKenna has yet to register a point through his first three regular-season contests, and some corners of the hockey world are already trying to make it a storyline.

McKenna has also drawn unwanted attention for how he handles optional skates with the team. On Sunday, McKenna was once again a no-show at an optional team practice, marking the third consecutive time the player chose not to attend a non-mandatory session. He claims he wants to preserve his body and stay fresh for official games, while the team’s veterans are out on the ice putting in the work. At just 18 years old, that philosophy simply doesn’t fly in a market like Toronto.

Broadcaster Sid Seixeiro, a well-known figure in Toronto’s sports media landscape thanks to his daily show, highlighted the issue on social media. His post quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of views, a sign that the topic strikes a chord with Leafs fans.

When it comes to the media, McKenna pointed to a similar rough patch during his college career last season as a reason for optimism. "Had a tough start to college last year and started to figure things out from there," he said. "I think just honestly learning from last year and learning from these first few games is going to be key. And just sticking with it, being confident."

He added that he felt his most recent game was his strongest of the three so far, noting that he started creating more and felt increasingly comfortable at the NHL level.

McKenna will look to get that elusive first NHL point when the Maple Leafs host the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.