While it's disappointing that Gavin McKenna won't be participating any further in the Toronto Maple Leafs' rookie camp, he did give us a highlight to carry us until the preseason.
On Friday, Leafs prospects took the ice at the Ford Performance Centre to have their very first practice as a group before the Prospect Showcase continued in Gatineau, Quebec, in two games against the prospects of the Senators and the Jets this weekend. Some players popped as they took significant developmental steps and are going to head back to their various junior or European pro leagues with some solid confidence while wearing the Blue and White.
McKenna, of course, was a highlight and he was able to show off a little bit, scoring a Michigan goal in the very first opportunity he got.
Think #Leafs fans will enjoy this clip:
— Daniele Franceschi (@Daniele_Media) September 11, 2026
Here's Gavin McKenna scoring a lacrosse-style goal, aka "The Michigan," during today's practice at prospect camp.
Going to be fun watching McKenna this year.
(Viz: @sportsnet) #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/RjuPBMjOrz
What a beautiful sight. It's not the cleanest Michigan we've ever seen, or one scored with much enthusiasm, but it was treated almost like it was the clear option given the open ice in front of him and the goaltender possibly sleeping a little bit. Just another play and another goal for McKenna to score.
While it might not be showing off in a way where he wants it to be so clear that he's more skilled and more talented than every other Leafs prospect on the ice, it certainly is showing off to give every single member of Leafs Nation a nice and warm feeling that he really is a Toronto Maple Leaf and able to pull off stuff like this with ease.
Could McKenna score a Michigan in the NHL?
We might see more of these lacrosse-style goals in practice -- maybe not in actual Leafs practice during drills, but before or after the official time -- but it is a whole different thing to pull it off in game action.
If somehow, McKenna scores a Michigan within the first month (or even two months) of being a professional hockey player while playing against the best defenses in the world and the best goalies in the world, with the fastest and most skilled players in the world, then it would be quite a feat. He might suddenly rise to superstardom even faster in a Trevor Zegras and Sonny Milano-esque way when they scored that highlight-reel goal that was on every single highlight show for months.
Maybe McKenna can get on the cover of NHL 29.
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