McKenna Sits Out Prospect Challenge, Leafs Debut Waits
The No. 1 overall pick practiced in Toronto on Friday but won't travel to Gatineau for the rookie tournament.
Gavin McKenna will not play in the 2026 NHL Prospect Challenge, Toronto Marlies coach Steve Sullivan told reporters on Friday, pushing the wait for the No. 1 overall pick's first game in a Maple Leafs uniform a little further down the calendar.
McKenna was named to Toronto's roster for the tournament in Gatineau, Quebec, and he was on the ice for practice in Toronto on Friday. He just won't be dressing for any of the games.
No reason was given beyond Sullivan's word that the 18-year-old is staying behind. Rookie tournaments are as much about evaluation as anything else, and there is not much left to evaluate with McKenna, who put up 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) in 35 games as a freshman at Penn State last season and added 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in seven games at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
His next opportunity comes quickly. Toronto opens the preseason against the Montreal Canadiens on Sept. 19, and that game now shapes up as the first real look at McKenna in a Maple Leafs sweater.
