'Dominant everywhere': McKenna on brink of breaking out for Canada

Team Canada practised at TD Place in Ottawa on Sunday. 

How close is Gavin McKenna to breaking out for Team Canada? 

"I thought he honestly did last night, really," said Spokane Chiefs centre Berkly Catton. "He was, I thought, the best player on the ice. He was just dominant everywhere. Every time he has the puck he makes a difference."

The Medicine Hat Tigers phenom has not hit the scoresheet in two pre-tournament games, but is looking more and more dangerous ahead of the World Juniors. In Thursday's exhibition opener against Switzerland, McKenna started as the 13th forward and admitted to dealing with nerves as he adjusted to a new role. On Saturday, he started on a regular line with Catton and Ottawa 67s forward Luca Pinelli. 

"He responded well," said Team Canada head coach Dave Cameron. "Gavin had a real good game. I really liked that line. They were in the O-zone. All three of them played really smart." 

"I had a better night," McKenna said. "The more puck touches you get the more confident you are, so I think I had quite a few more puck touches. I was making more plays, feeling really confident out there, and it was lots of fun to play with those two guys."

The chances haven't fallen yet for McKenna, but no one around Team Canada is worried. Porter Martone has seen this before. 

"It's going to come," the Brampton Steelheads winger assured. "I played with him at the u18 Worlds and I remember the first two pre-tournament games the pucks just weren't going in and as soon as the tournament started he just went off. I'm expecting big things from him this tournament. I think all of Canada is too."

McKenna is Canada's youngest player. He's not eligible to be picked until the 2026 NHL draft. And yet that feels like a fair expectation. 

McKenna, who is 6-foot, 165 pounds, has proven consistently he can elevate against older and bigger competition. He's leading the Western Hockey League with 60 points in 30 games. At the 2024 under-18 World Championship, he piled up 20 points in seven games, including a hat trick in the gold medal game. 

"There were a couple cutbacks there where he almost picked a spot the size of a puck," London Knights winger Easton Cowan said. "It's going to come soon. He's a positive guy, so I'm sure it will come any time now."

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McKenna confirmed he is a "distant" cousin of Connor Bedard through marriage and the Chicago Blackhawk sophomore offered up some advice ahead of the World Juniors. 

"He told me to be confident," McKenna said. "Obviously as a young guy you might not play a lot early on, but make sure you're playing both sides of the puck. He worked his way up the lineup when he was here at a young age. For me to hopefully do the same and follow in his footsteps that's kind of what I want to do."

Bedard exploded out of the gates in his World Junior debut in Edmonton with a four-goal game before the 2022 event was postponed due to the COVID pandemic. Bedard picked up eight points in seven games to help Canada win gold when the full tournament was played in the summer. Cameron was also Canada's coach back then. 

Bedard and McKenna don't talk regularly, but the Whitehorse native appreciates that he has a sounding board whenever he needs one. 
 
"I think we go through some pretty similar stuff," McKenna noted. "I kind of have him to lean on."

Most of their conversations have focused on all the attention top prospects receive. McKenna is almost always requested to do interviews after games and practices. 

"It's something I've learned to deal with the past few years," McKenna said. "I'm starting to get used to it. I kind of knew it was coming here, being one of the young guys, and having the spotlight on you a little bit. I was kind of expected it and I prepared for it so I'm OK with it."

McKenna turned 17 on Friday and the team sang him 'Happy Birthday' and brought out a chocolate cake at the end of dinner. 

Are his current teammates offering any advice? 

"Here and there," said Cowan. "But he gives me advice too."

Like what? 

"What to do with the puck sometimes," said Cowan, who leads Canada with four goals in pre-tournament play. "Sometimes he protects the puck extremely well and it's in his hip pocket, so I like to know what he's thinking, so just little things like that. Everyone in the room just chats with each other about stuff like that to get better."

Cowan, one of four returning players on Team Canada,  sees similarities between McKenna and San Jose Sharks rookie sensation Macklin Celebrini, who led Canada in scoring last year at age 17. 

"Both win puck battles," the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect noted. "Both can turn on a dime, both can make great plays, and both great people off the ice too." 

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Catton was named Canada's player of the game on Saturday despite not picking up a point. 

"It was pretty cool," the 18-year-old said. "As you could see, I didn't really expect it, but it was awesome. Our line had a really good game last night. We seemed to generate lots from the start of the game right to the end so that was a lot of fun last night."

Pinelli, who was a healthy scratch on Thursday, scored Canada's opening goal by deflecting in a shot by Soo Greyhounds defenceman Andrew Gibson shot. At 5-foot-9, Pinelli is the shortest forward on the team, but he never shies away from physical play.  
 
"He's got that goal-scoring touch," said Cowan. "He's got that dog in him too. He works hard, so really happy for him. He got to the net and got rewarded."

The goal was all the more special, because Pinelli is the Ottawa 67s captain and was playing in his Ontario Hockey League rink. 

"Obviously this building's like home so I'm very used to it," he said. "Yeah, it felt really special to be in here."

Cameron has coached Pinelli the last three seasons. He saw the Columbus Blue Jackets fourth round pick pot 48 goals in 68 games last season. Pinelli already has 21 goals in 26 games this year, which is tied for most on Team Canada with Martone. 

"He played a typical Pinelli game," Cameron said. "He's a scorer, but he also brings energy. He's tenacious. He brings energy to the team. He brings energy on the bench and can play any spot you want to put him. I was really excited for Luca."

Pinelli remained on the line with McKenna and Catton at Sunday's practice. 

"Pins just knows how to score," Catton said. "That's what everyone says around here. He's always in the right spots. He put that one home last night and that's all because he was in the right spot. Credit to him."  

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Pinelli scored from the front of the net, but it took time for the rest of the team to follow his lead. 

"The big thing about the third period is we had some net presence," said Cameron. "We had some good zone time, but we had net presence and we were more engaged and we won more 1-on-1 battles."

Canada trailed Sweden 2-1 heading to the third period. All three members of the top line – Cal Ritchie, Bradly Nadeau and Cowan – scored during the final frame. 

"It's looking like one of the best lines I've ever seen, probably," said Knights defenceman Oliver Bonk. "They just have natural chemistry. Like, every guy plays at such a quick speed and with such hockey IQ. They just read off each other so well." 

Nadeau deflected home Bonk's shot to tie the game midway through the third period. 

"Just net-front presence," Ritchie observed. "That's a pro-hockey kind of goal."

The goal was initially credited to Bonk. 

Nadeau, who was loaned to Hockey Canada by the Carolina Hurricanes, has spent this season with the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League.  

"I love playing with those guys," said Ritchie, who suited up in seven games with the Colorado Avalanche at the start of the season. "They work so hard. We're trying to click. Our chemistry is getting there."

"We put them together thinking they would dominate, knowing that it's going to take a little while to mesh," said Cameron. "They've gotten better each game." 

Cowan produced a hat trick, the first of his junior career, in Thursday's game against Switzerland. 

Despite the early success, Canada's top-line trio is far satisfied. 

"I think we have another level," Ritchie said. "It will be interesting once we get a few more games under our belt. It will be awesome."

What does the next level look like for them? 

"Probably just finishing all of our chances," Cowan said. "We probably had around like eight solid chances, so if we can bury them it will help our team out even more."

Canada wraps up their pre-tournament schedule on Monday against Czechia at the Canadian Tire Centre. 

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After missing Friday's practice and Saturday's game, Martone was a full participant in Sunday's workout. 

"In the first pre-tournament game there I tweaked something early in the game," Martone said. "I finished the game so that was a good sign. We wanted to be precautionary."

Martone skated on a line with Catton and Brampton Steelheads forward Carson Rehkopf on Thursday. At Sunday's practice, he was with Lethbridge Hurricanes centre Brayden Yager and Calgary Hitmen winger Tanner Howe. 

"Two very high-skilled players, but also play a hard game," Martone said. "If we really get rolling and find some chemistry, we can be a really hard line to stop in the tournament."

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Canada's three goalies have all been in for 40 minutes of pre-tournament play. 

Carter George stopped all 11 shots he faced in the first two periods of Thursday's game against the Swiss. 

Jack Ivankovic turned aside 16 of the 18 shots in the opening two periods of Saturday's game against the Swedes. 

Carson Bjarnason played the third period in both games, stopping nine of 10 shots. 

"They're making it really hard," Cameron said of the decisions moving forward. "Goaltending was huge. Early on, Jack held us in there, made some saves and then Barny came in in the third and made some big saves when it was still 2-1. Huge. We're going to need it."

During an interview with Postmedia, Hockey Canada management group lead Peter Anholt said George is emerging in the race to be the starter. The Owen Sound Attack goalie backstopped Canada to a gold medal at the recent under-18 World Championship. 

"That gold medal game in Finland, we were getting outshot 30-6 against the US," Martone recalled. "He's the reason we had a chance to come back and walk away with a gold medal."

George ran the table – 6-0-0 – with a .915 save percentage at that tournament. 

"It's just staying calm in the big moment," he said. "Me being calm in those pressure situations allowed my team to play their game with confidence."

How does George, who also has a Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medal on his resume, remain calm? Well, the 18-year-old sings during games. 

"That's been my whole life," he said. "I always sing in my net. I'm always singing a song ... Usually it's whatever's stuck in my head."

On Thursday it was Great Big Sea's 'Ordinary Day' which is being used as Canada's goal song in pre-tournament play. (It was Canada's goal song at last year's event in Sweden.)

"We've scored a couple times so it's been stuck in my head," he said with a smile. "So that's what I've been singing a lot." 

In January, George started working with goalie mindset consultant Peter Fry. 

"I didn't really want a mental coach," the Los Angeles Kings second rounder said. "I thought I was pretty strong mentally and then, once I got with him, it was kind of eye-opening and it definitely helped my game out a lot."

Fry has helped him choose the best songs to sing during games so as to avoid negative words. But that's not the biggest change he's made. 

"The No. 1 thing was probably just not being so focused," George said. "I felt like I'd be focused when I got to the rink at 4, and I'd be focused 'til 10 and it would just drain me out so much. Through a 68-game [OHL] season you can't really do that. So, for me, it was learning how to go into focus and then going out of it. We have little tricks and stuff that he's taught me and it's definitely really helped me out a lot."

It's been a tough year in the standings for the young Attack team, but George has posted an impressive .905 save percentage. Some of his calmness is just in the genes. His mom, Tara George, was a professional curler. 

"The best thing I got from her is just to stay stay calm no matter what happens," the Thunder Bay, Ont. native said. "Stuff isn't always going to go your way and you just got to stay calm through thick and thin."

Tara won bronze with the Krista McCarville rink at the 2010 Scott Tournament of Hearts. Carter never felt any pressure to follow mom onto the pebbled ice. 

"I've actually never touched the ice," he said. "It's kind of crazy. I wish I could. Once I kind of grew up I always wanted to, but I never got the chance too."  

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Ivankovic is the youngest goalie in the mix at age 17. 

"I'm coming in here the same way if I was playing my own age," he said. "I want to be the No. 1 guy so I'm going to keep playing my game."

Ivankovic, who is eligible to be picked in the next NHL draft, stood on his head for Canada at the summer Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He was named player of the game in the semifinal and final en route to a gold medal. 

"I don't really get too nervous," he said. "I like to stay calm in anything I do ... Any time you play with the leaf on your chest you want to do well and I've got lucky enough to wear it a bunch, so I'm coming here with the same mindset as any [other] tournament."

Ivankovic isn't intimidated by anything in the crease despite standing just 5-foot-11. He even dropped the gloves and fought 20-year-old Niagara IceDogs goalie Owen Flores, who stands 6-foot-2, back in October. 

"He kind of came down, and I don't back down from anyone so I just did it," the Mississauga, Ont. native said. "It's not what I like to do. If you know me, I'm an easygoing kind of guy. It's whatever."

Not everyone is built this way. 

"I've got asked a few times but I've never fought," George said. "I've backed down a couple times from them."

Bjarnason was shocked when he learned Ivankovic dropped the blocker and glove this season. 

"He fought? Oh my God," the 19-year-old from Carbery, Man. said. "I'm going to go talk to him about that, see how it went. I've never been close. I feel like I keep my emotions in check and that's something I take pride in."

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Bjarnason's role model is Carey Price. 

"I try to emulate that as much as I can," the Philadelphia Flyers prospect said. "It's just his efficiency in his movements and the poise he carries. It's something I try and reenact."

Like George, he's worked with Fry. 

"I've chatted just kind of on and off with him for two years now," Bjarnason said. "Somebody I just reach out to every once in a while if I need it. He's definitely a great resource."

But not the only one. Bjarnason also works with sport psychologist John Stevenson, who is the founder of Champions Mindset. 

"I try to stay cool, calm, and collected out there," Bjarnason. "I try and act like nothing fazes me and be pretty emotionless. I feel like that's always something I've had is that poise and stoicism. I just try to carry that through my carer."

Bjarnason, who led the WHL in save percentage (.913 in 16 games) when he left for Canada's camp, showed off that poise on Saturday when he entered the game with Canada trailing. 

"Going in in the third, it's never easy," he said. "Just trying to gauge myself on footwork and how I see the ice. I'm feeling pretty good."

Bjarnason hasn't had a relief performance in the WHL since his 16-year-old season. 

"It's just a matter of keeping your focus throughout the game," he said. "Doing little things to keep you in it." 

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Team Canada held a shootout game near the end of practice. Who stood out? 

"Tough to choose," Bjarnason. "Actually Berkly Catton is very smooth."

"I would have to say Cowan," George said. "I think he's got a perfect record against me in shootouts. He has a go-to move, but he just has so many options off it and so unpredictable. He's pretty good at hiding what he wants to do."

Cowan's Team Red came out on top with Carson Rehkopf also potting a couple goals. 

"I was watching Rehkopf go and he seemed to score every time," Catton said "His shot is so powerful that goalies get a little scared and then he makes a little chip play or something, which I saw a couple times today. I would say he was probably the best today."

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Lines at Sunday's practice: 

10 Nadeau - 21 Ritchie - 27 Cowan 
9 McKenna - 14 Catton - 13 Pinelli 
23 Howe - 12 Luchanko - 22 Marton 
16 Rehkopf - 11 Yager - 20 Gauthier 
26 Beaudoin, 28 Cataford 

6 Molendyk - 2 Gibson 
25 Schaefer - 5 Bonk 
3 Dickinson - 8 Akey 
7 Mynio - 4 Price 

31 Bjarnason, 30 George, 1 Ivankovic