Gavin McKenna Will Adapt To The NHL Much More Quickly Than The NCAA

Dan Hamilton-Imagn ImagesDan Hamilton-Imagn ImagesSep 24, 2026 1:19 PMPublished Sep 24, 2026 1:19 PMToronto Maple Leafs rookie Gavin McKenna has made some strong early impressions, and his skill may make his transition to the NHL much smoother than it was when he adapted to the NCAA.When Gavin McKenna showed up at Penn State last season after dominating the Western Hockey League, many observers expected him to dominate from Game 1. They were disappointed. It turns out a 17-year-old kid playing for a middle-of-the-road team against 22-year-olds is more of an adjustment than a lot of people imagined. Who knew?And because he made that adjustment and came out the other side as one of the best players in the NCAA, McKenna's learning curve from college to the NHL level will be much less dramatic.You could just see it in the pre-season. And when he and his Toronto Maple Leafs get things going in less than a week, he'll be ready for what lies ahead.Hear more about McKenna and his performance in the Maple Leafs' 6-1 win over the Ottawa Senators in today's video column above.For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.