NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Gavin McKenna lifts his stick while making a deke in the first period of the Tigers' 10-7 win Sept. 15 at Co-op Place over the Swift Current Broncos.
Last season, Gavin McKenna gave Medicine Hat Tigers fans and the WHL a sneak peak of what type of player he might become. This season, he’s looking to put on the full show.
The Tigers’ 2022 first overall pick is entering his first full season in the Western Hockey League and is already the favourite for rookie of the year.
As he gets ready for the season, McKenna says he’s just looking to give the same effort he did last year.
“Every day come in here and try to get better,” McKenna said. “I was more comfortable with the guys this year too after just being with them all last year. That helps for sure and I’m really looking forward to the season.”
The 15-year-old spent the majority of the 2022-23 hockey season playing for the U18 South Alberta Hockey Academy in the CSSHL. McKenna still logged 16 games in the WHL and practised with the Tigers at least two-to-three times a week when possible. All of that exposure to the WHL game and teammates has eased the transition for the Whitehorse product.
“You start to learn the systems and the power plays, that helps a lot just playing with confidence out there knowing where to be,” McKenna said.
After bouncing back and forth between the U18 and WHL levels, he’s looking forward to knowing where he is going to play for the full season and not having to change leagues. The only time he won’t be wearing the Tigers logo on his chest is when he more than likely represents Canada at the U17 Hockey Challenge this November.
McKenna’s ability to go from SAHA, where he had 37 goals and 75 points in just 26 games, to the WHL where he put up four goals and 18 points in 16 games, is something head coach Willie Desjardins took notice of last season. Coming into this year, with McKenna still at the age of 15 until Dec. 20, Desjardins says it’s exceptional what he can do and the pressure he’s handled at that age.
He recalled a story from Saturday when he was walking toward the bus alongside his youngest star.
“I told him, ‘The ultimate compliment I can give you, Gavin, is that I treat you like you’re 17 or 18 years old.’ That’s how I treated him and that’s how he is,” Desjardins said. “Usually for young guys they’re not factors in your winning, so you don’t put that kind of expectation (on them). But he’s 15 years old, what he’s done is absolutely incredible, it is incredible what he’s doing and we all forget that he’s 15. He shouldn’t be doing this stuff at 15, so we can never forget that.
“He’s certainly elite and he’s going to put tons of pressure on himself this year, he just will. And we have to make sure we never forget that he is a young player. He’ll be a really good player and we’ll just have to wait and see where he goes.”
McKenna does have lofty goals for himself entering his rookie season. Beyond winning a championship with the Tigers, he wants to take one step at a time to be his best.
“You have the big goals in the back of your head, like however many points or whatnot, and then for me, rookie of the year, but I just try to take it day by day, game by game,” McKenna said. “Just playing your own game and not worrying about all that stuff. The points and stuff will come by just not worrying about it.”
Tigers fans can rejoice knowing McKenna’s parents, family and a lot of friends will be in attendance for the season opener Friday at Calgary and Medicine Hat’s home opener Saturday at Co-op Place against the Hitmen.
Every game his parents have travelled from Whitehorse to Medicine Hat for, he’s put up the stats to write home about, with his four-assist debut and first WHL goal contest to mark a few. It’ll also be the first time he’s seen them since training camp in August, which is a little more important than the numbers.
“I’m looking forward to it, I don’t know if I had a bad game since they’ve been in the building, so knock on wood, but I think they’re a bit of a good luck charm,” McKenna said.
If that’s the case, it’s on Medicine Hat fans to provide a good-luck-charm condo with a large trophy case.
