Gavin McKenna, the Maple Leafs' No. 1 pick, is already leaning on a mentor in Toronto. The winger has been talking with Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews this summer. Most of their conversations focus on one thing: handling the pressure of hockey's most critical market.

"We've had our convos, and I've asked him for advice. He's been an open book," McKenna told ESPN.

McKenna just signed his three-year entry-level contract after going through one standout season at Penn State. He finished second in the NCAA in points per game, scoring 51 points in 35 games. Now the Leafs expect him to compete immediately for a top-six role and power-play time.

Matthews knows this path well as Toronto picked him No. 1 overall back in 2016. He had spent almost a decade learning how to handle the spotlight. That experience from Matthews makes him a guide for McKenna soon.

"I think we've just gone through similar things, so just trying to navigate through Toronto and how to deal with the media and stuff like that. He's done a good job with it, so smart guy to go to," added McKenna in the same ESPN interview.

The quote shows how high McKenna thinks of Matthews' guidance. Toronto did not make the playoffs last season, but it is looking to recover quickly. The pressure increased after signing McKenna, the most talked-about recruit in college hockey history at Penn State.

He had 51 points in 35 games and ranked second in the NCAA with 1.46 points per game, making expectations much higher. Meanwhile, the 18-year-old is expected to take place at the start of the regular season in October 2026.

However, McKenna gets Matthews as a mentor. Even the Oilers star Connor McDavid recently mentioned Matthews as a reason McKenna should feel ready for what's ahead.

Not just Matthews, McKenna is racking up experience from mentors beyond the Maple Leafs.

Building chemistry with fellow top prospects' 

McKenna isn't just talking with veteran players for advice. He's training with them too. This offseason, he has skated alongside Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks, the No. 1 pick in 2024.

The two players have been working out together in Vancouver. Some weeks later,  McKenna said, the ice time finishes first.

"My trainers probably won't like to hear this, but there was a week where we were on the ice for like 17 hours," McKenna said, as mentioned on NHL.com. "So, yeah, max crazy, but every skate out there, you're getting better, and it's a competitive group."

Celebrini gives McKenna a reference, and he also signed a five-year, $94 million contract with the Sharks this week, the richest annual deal in NHL history.

Beyond Celebrini, McKenna has also interacted with Chicago's Connor Bedard, another No. 1 pick, over dinner in Vancouver. 

He also spent this week at the NHLPA Rookie Showcase in Chicago, bonding with the next wave of NHL talent, before his own career begins soon.

How do you think Auston Matthews will help Gavin McKenna on the ice? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar