Toronto won 4-2 in Vancouver on Saturday. The loudest question afterward was why Gavin McKenna played only 2:09 of the third period.
He finished with 13:01 of ice time and three shots on goal, and Toronto controlled 78.7 percent of the expected goals with him on the ice at 5-on-5, per Natural Stat Trick. Toronto led by one for most of the third until Teddy Blueger’s empty-net goal.
Hiller said after the game:
“We don’t want him to be one or the other,” Hiller said. “He’s just got to learn what an NHL player does typically. Those players with so much skill, in the end, get a little bit more rope. We all know that, but you still have to find your way as an NHL player. He’s tremendously skilled, but he’s finding his way as an NHL player. You learn when to manage it and when not to, and that’s what he’s going through right now.”
Daily Faceoff Toronto shared the comments on X, and the replies under the post read the decision in sharply different ways.
One fan did not hold back on the hire:
“I hate this coach and hire. Mats and John F****d up this hire.”
Another felt Hiller had singled out the rookie:
“This is a ridiculous thing to say publicly. The only player he holds accountable is Gavin McKenna because he wants to put the rookie in his place.”
A third questioned the logic of learning from the bench:
“Lol how tf is he supposed to learn without playing in these situations? 🤦 There’s only so much he can learn through observation and conversations”
One reply pointed at the scoreline and the opponent:
“Doesn’t trust him defensively that’s clear, it’s too bad the Leafs couldn’t have more than 1 goal lead against the last place team in order to create a safe place to play him in more situations”
Others kept it simple:
“They wanted to win the game”
The second mid-game cut for Gavin McKenna this season
Jim Hiller made the same call on Oct. 15 against Buffalo, when Gavin McKenna played a career-low 6:36 and sat the final 32:54 of a 5-4 overtime loss. Hiller called it his decision and said he “probably should have got him out there early in the third,” adding that sitting him that long was “not fair to him” (per NHL.com).
Hiller himself is in his first season in Toronto. He was hired June 17 as the 41st coach in franchise history, replacing Craig Berube after the Leafs finished last in the Atlantic Division. General manager John Chayka made the hire.
Gavin McKenna, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, is tied for the rookie scoring lead with 11 points in 16 games, and at his next game-day skate he said:
“I’m willing to play whatever role this team wants” (via TSN’s Mark Masters).
Edited by Sonali Verma
