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Sergei Bobrovsky says he didn't mean to crash Gavin McKenna's solo lap

Veteran goaltender in his own little world when he accidentally upstaged rookie's first NHL pre-game loop

Published Oct 02, 2026  •  Last updated 19 hours ago  •  3 minute read

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky takes part in the team's training camp in Etobicoke at the Ford Performance Centre on Sept. 17, 2026. Photo by Ernest Doroszuk /Toronto Sun

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A dialed-in Sergei Bobrovsky says he didn’t mean to spoil the spotlight of Gavin McKenna’s 15 seconds of fame.

When it came time for McKenna’s solo rookie lap as a Maple Leaf before Tuesday’s season opener against Montreal, an NHL tradition, there was lots of hype with cameras aimed at the gate, given McKenna’s status as 2026’s No. 1 overall pick.

But first out of the gate wasn’t McKenna, but 38-year-old Russian goalie Bobrovsky in his 807th regular season appearance. Bobrovsky knocked the practice pucks off the bench and skated around, oblivious to McKenna’s moment until realizing they were the only Leafs out there as the rest of the team stayed in the tunnel. McKenna’s parents and grandparents, among 14 people from Whitehorse, Yukon, were at Scotiabank Arena.

Bob could’ve used the excuse that the superstition of a goalie leading his team out took precedence, but apologized to McKenna.

“I completely forgot, I didn’t think about it, I didn’t mean to do that,” Bobrovsky said Friday. “I came to him after and pretended it was my first game, too.”

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Bobrovsky got some over-the-top comments on social media about his faux pas, as some kind of sign of team disunity on the new-look Leafs. But he’s been extraordinarily complementary of teammates since arriving, stick tapping them for anything from blocking a shot to picking up his water bottle.

General manager John Chayka said that when he and the staff mapped out how many games he’d be comfortable playing, based on how the 84-game schedule shaped up, Bobrovsky wanted a certain number of meaningful dates built in for back-up Anthony Stolarz, something the GM said he’d never had a No. 1 goalie offer to do.

After facing 24 shots by Montreal and giving up three goals, Bobrovsky goes for his first win Saturday against Ottawa.

McKenna, meanwhile, seeks his first point after a few close chances with perfect set-ups teammates failed to bury this week. That said, team captain Auston Matthews has been stopped on some Grade A shooting opportunities on his line.

“There’s a lot to learn in those first two games,” McKenna said. “For me, it’s getting a little bit more on the inside, trying to support my teammates, being in spots where they can find me, getting more puck touches.”

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McKenna wants to emulate what third liners Easton Cowan, Nick Paul and Colton Sissons exhibited in the 2-1 win over the Islanders, recognizing when a play is there or not off of the rush. It’s something his linemates, John Tavares and William Nylander, have also told him they can all do better at.

He’s also enjoying the freedom of second unit power play time with Cowan, Paul and Jack Roslovic.

McKenna was stirred by Wednesday’s pre-game recognition of Truth and Reconciliation Day. His grandfather, Joe Mason, was a residential school survivor.

“It means a lot. It’s a day we always take a lot of thought in. For my grandpa to be in the building for that was very special. He’s one of the hardest-working people I know, the most dedicated and the most loving. He’s gone through a lot and been a huge motivator for me.”

lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby

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