Gavin McKenna Could Be the Maple Leafs Test for a New Way of Thinking
As a long-time professor at the University of Alberta, where I taught teachers, I have always found it interesting that hockey development sometimes conflates teaching skills with player development. They are not the same thing.
A player can be taught how to skate faster, shoot harder, and handle the puck better. Those things matter. They are the foundation of hockey. But the best players in the world separate themselves by seeing the game differently. They recognize what is happening before everyone else does.
They understand where pressure is coming from. They anticipate where space will open. They make decisions when the game is moving too quickly for most players to think.
That is what we often call hockey intelligence. Can it be taught?
And this is why Gavin McKenna is such an interesting player to consider through the Maple Leafs’ development lens. McKenna is already known for his skill and offensive creativity. He has the ability to create plays that most players simply do not see.
But the next step in his development is not just adding more tools. It is learning how to use those tools against bigger, faster, smarter opponents. That is where his development within the Maple Leafs organization becomes interesting. The easy answer is to say, “Get stronger. Improve skating. Work on shooting.”
Of course, every young player needs those things. But the harder question is: How do you help a player become a better thinker? How do you teach someone to recognize the game at the NHL level?
Related: Hayley Wickenheiser & Seeing the Game Differently As a Woman
Everyone in the NHL is a great hockey player. But there’s more.
Because eventually every talented player reaches the same point. Everyone in the NHL can skate. Everyone can shoot. Everyone can make plays. The difference is what happens when the game breaks down. Can the player read the situation? Can they adjust? And can they make the right decision when the first option disappears?
That is the next level. It’s where the Maple Leafs’ organizational philosophy becomes fascinating. If Toronto truly wants to build a different kind of hockey culture, then player development cannot simply be about creating better athletes. It has to be about creating better decision-makers.
A player like McKenna does not need an organization to take away his creativity. He needs a framework that helps him understand when and how to use it.
The goal should not be controlling McKenna’s instincts.
The goal should be refining them. Making them better. That is what successful organizations do. They do not just tell players what to do. They help players understand why they are doing it.
The coach provides the structure. The player learns how to solve the problem.
This is where I think the future of hockey development is heading. The next great advantage might not be finding the most skilled players. It may be developing players who can think faster and make better decisions. The Maple Leafs have spent years searching for the right combination of talent and toughness. Maybe the next step is something different. Maybe it is developing players who can think their way through the hardest moments of the game.
Can McKenna become the type of player who changes games at the NHL level?
Gavin McKenna is a fascinating example because he already has the creativity. He already has the imagination. The challenge is helping him turn that into winning hockey at the highest level. And that might be the biggest question for every NHL organization: Are we simply training players? Or are we developing hockey thinkers?