Sid Seixeiro rips Maple Leafs after coach Jim Hiller hiring - Yahoo Sports

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No. 1 pick in 2026 NHL Draft didn’t see ice in final half of OT loss to Sabres on Thursday TORONTO -- Gavin McKenna is ready to move forward after the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft was benched by Toronto Maple Leafs coach Jim Hiller on Thursday.

Getty TORONTO, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 29: Gavin McKenna #92 of the Toronto Maple Leafs playing in his first career NHL game, skates against the Montréal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena on September 29, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images) The Toronto Maple Leafs squandered a 4-2 lead and fell 5-4 to the Buffalo Sabres in overtime on Thursday, October 15. The game featured several key talking points, including Kirill Marchenko’s hat trick, Auston Matthews’ strong performance, and some negative developments, such as John Tavares’ injury and head coach Jim Hiller benching Gavin McKenna. The latter decision sparked significant controversy among fans, with some even calling for the coach to be fired for how he handled the prospect. The following day, on Friday’s edition of “The Leafs Morning Take,” Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill discussed the situation. Rosehill, drawing on his experience as a former player, offered his analysis of why Hiller made the decision, while making it clear he disagreed with the head coach’s approach. Maple Leafs’ Gavin McKenna Benching ‘Got Away’ From Jim Hiller, Rosehill SaysHe said, “Oh look, here’s my take on this thing.

Gavin McKenna played just six minutes and 36 seconds during the Maple Leafs’ 5-4 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night at Scotiabank Arena. His last shift came midway through the second period. “We had those penalties, I wanted to get him out there, he sat through the penalties, and then I didn’t get him out there through that stretch,” head coach Jim Hiller explained. “And then the last few minutes of the period, we were just trying to get out of the period, I guess you would say, and now I’ve sat him for so long, and he sits in the intermission. So, I probably should’ve got him out there early in the third. I didn’t, so I’ll talk to him about that.”The Leafs were shorthanded twice in the second half of the second period with Oliver Ekman-Larsson getting whistled for high sticking at 14:35 and Morgan Rielly getting called for hooking at 18:07. Zach Benson was called for interference at 18:33, which ended the second Buffalo power play after 26 seconds. McKenna, the first overall pick in the 2026 draft, is not part of Toronto’s penalty-kill rotation. Between the Ekman-Larsson penalty and the Rielly penalty, Kirill Marchenko scored to give the Leafs a 4-2 lead.

TORONTO — Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller isn’t sounding the alarm on his defensive corps just yet. The Leafs announced Thursday that Chris Tanev is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury, reducing Toronto’s defensive depth. Hiller said he was comfortable with the remaining defenceman on his active roster, but he’ll need the Maple Leafs forwards to contribute too. “Tanev’s a good player; that’s well established, but we have other good players,” said Hiller after morning skate. “We just have to help them out a little bit.”Tanev was initially placed on injured reserve Monday, with the move retroactive to Saturday. The 36-year-old defenceman was hurt in Toronto’s 6-3 road win over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. Tanev skated in five shifts in the first period before leaving the game. “What I was disappointed about a little bit on the trip is I thought we hung our defencemen out to dry just a little bit as a group of forwards with some turnovers, with some tracking,” said Hiller. “I think prior to going out, I thought we really were supporting our defence, getting back hard, not giving up odd-man rushes, and then it was a little bit of the opposite on that road trip.

The Maple Leafs lost 5-4 to the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Wednesday is a travel day for the team with no media availability. The Leafs managed to break even on a challenging road trip, but Jim Hiller is not satisfied. “No. No. No. No,” the coach said. “No, I’m not.”When the Leafs left Toronto for games against the defending Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights, defending Presidents’ Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche and a fast-rising Utah Mammoth team, three points seemed like it would be a good result. So, why was Hiller left with a bitter taste in his mouth as he prepared to fly home? “Well, because we want to win,” he explained. “I mean, we could’ve got five points. So, when [you] say, ‘Are we good with three?’ No, not really. If you would’ve said, ‘Are you happy with five?’ We would’ve said, ‘Absolutely.’”The Leafs certainly had their chances to gain more points. Toronto squandered a 3-0 lead en route to a shootout loss in Vegas to open the trip. After an impressive win in Denver, the Leafs fell into a three-goal hole in Utah before mounting a comeback and coming painfully close to nabbing at least one point against the Mammoth.