Day 1 of the Toronto Maple Leafs' development camp has been wrapped up, and naturally, all eyes were on 2026 first overall pick Gavin McKenna.

Following Thursday's session at the Ford Performance Centre, Maple Leafs assistant GM Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser spoke about McKenna's impact on opening day and also evaluated his game, as she is one of the franchise's leaders in the player development department.

"Bright kid," Wickenheiser said of McKenna. "I spent several hours with him, and he asked a lot of really great questions. He's a deep thinker, and he takes in information really well, and you can tell that he's very aware of his surroundings, and anything you say, he can do it right away, which is always a sign of a really great player, and they don't come around that often where you see these kids that are that dialled in. So he's very dialled in and curious, and I think he will learn and adapt very well."

On the first day of the Leafs' development camp, McKenna was certainly a player who stood out among the first group of prospects. He was much more skilled than his peers, showed great speed and made an effort off the puck whenever game-situation drills were presented.

One thing that's different about McKenna compared to the majority of NHL prospects through the years is his upbringing and his childhood spent in Whitehorse, Yukon. For the most part, young players looking to get drafted would have access to quality skills coaches. But for McKenna, his circumstances were much different, making his progression all the more impressive in Wickenheiser's eyes.

"Now in hockey, we see a lot of kids that think they need a skills coach, they need strength and conditioning, they should play hockey all year round," she said. "Here's a kid that didn't do any of that and still was able to make it.

"I think it's a great story for all kids, wherever you are in Canada and around the world, that don't need all these fancy things to become a great hockey player. (McKenna) did outdoor rinks, shinny, creating, thinking, dreaming, all of those things, and here he is, so it's amazing to see," Wickenheiser added.

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