McKenna says he trusts Hiller after talk about benching

Gavin McKenna said Saturday, Oct. 17, that a conversation with Toronto Maple Leafs coach Jim Hiller had reassured him after he spent the closing stages of Thursday’s loss to Buffalo on the bench.

Speaking before Toronto’s home game against the New York Islanders, McKenna told NHL.com that Hiller had explained the decision was unrelated to his performance. The rookie said his confidence remained intact and that he trusted his coach.

“Obviously, you want to play, but yeah, we had a good talk,” McKenna said.

The No. 1 selection in the 2026 NHL Draft played 6:36 in the 5-4 overtime defeat. He had no shifts in the third period or overtime, and his final appearance came midway through the second.

Hiller had accepted responsibility after the game. Sportsnet and TSN reported that Toronto’s penalties disrupted his plans to use McKenna and that he regretted leaving him out at the start of the third period. Hiller said the extended stretch without a shift then made him reluctant to send the winger back out.

McKenna said Saturday that he had tried to learn by watching Toronto’s veterans while he waited. He also said teammates had encouraged him to move on from the game.

The benching interrupted a productive spell: Toronto’s official notes listed McKenna on a four-game point streak entering Thursday. Captain Auston Matthews publicly supported him after the loss, saying the team backed its rookie.