Gavin McKenna sums up his first NHL goal with a great quote

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gavin McKenna sums up his first NHL goal with a great quote

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Rex Villas | Last updated Oct 7, 2026 9:58 AM ET

It was a night to remember for Toronto Maple Leafs rookie forward Gavin McKenna on Tuesday.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft lit the lamp for the first time in his NHL career in the second period of Toronto’s game against the visiting Nashville Predators at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

McKenna fired a shot from the right side that was too fast for Preds netminder Juuse Saros to stop, as the Maple Leafs stretched their lead to 3-1.

GAVIN MCKENNA SNIPES HOME HIS FIRST NHL GOAL #Leafs https://t.co/8PkHCzMa8S
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 7, 2026

But that was also McKenna’s second point of the evening — and of his career. Earlier in the same frame, he

recorded a helper on a goal by another former No. 1 pick John Tavares.

McKenna went pointless in his first two games in the league, but he’s finally found his groove in the show on Tuesday. It was a big sigh of relief for the young forward to finally get his first points in the NHL.

“It’s a big monkey off the back,” the 18-year-old McKenna told reporters after the game, via Sportsnet. “That one felt good. Yeah, that’s a goal I’ll remember forever.”

"A big monkey off the back… That’s a goal I’ll obviously remember forever." Gavin McKenna reflects on his first career NHL goal. https://t.co/o8NaJvWBs9
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 7, 2026

Matthews made sure that McKenna’s big night wouldn’t be wasted in a loss, as the former Hart Memorial Trophy winner buried the game-winning goal in overtime to give Toronto a 5-4 victory.

McKenna and the Maple Leafs will look to keep it going on Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

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