According to the NHL game report, Gavin McKenna, who was selected first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, saw only 6 minutes and 36 seconds of ice time in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ loss to the Buffalo Sabres. This figure represents the lowest amount of playing time he has recorded in the NHL; his previous low was 12 minutes and 46 seconds in a 3‑2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on October 3.
Prior to the game, McKenna had accumulated five points—two goals and three assists—over seven appearances, averaging roughly 15 minutes of ice time per contest. The limited usage in the Sabres matchup came after a stretch of penalties taken by the Leafs. Toronto head coach Jim Hiller explained the situation, saying, “You know what? That was my decision. We went for a stretch where I think we had those penalties. I wanted to get him out there. He sat through the penalties, and then I didn’t get them out there through that stretch. The last few minutes of the period, we’re just trying to, you know, get out of the period, I guess you would say. Then now I’ve sat him for so long, and he sits in the intermission. I probably should have got him out there early in the third.”
After McKenna’s final shift, which occurred with 9:40 remaining in the second period, Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman‑Larsson was assessed a minor penalty for holding at 14:35 of the period. Shortly thereafter, defenseman Morgan Rielly was called for hooking at 18:07, and Zach Benson received a minor for interference 26 seconds later, creating a 4‑on‑4 situation to close the second frame.
The source notes that McKenna is not part of the group of Leafs players who regularly kill penalties. He was on the ice, however, when the Sabres tied the game at 2‑2. At 2:41 of the second period, Jack Quinn scored the equalizer. The play began with Mattias Samuelsson stepping around McKenna at the Sabres’ blue line before passing to Noah Ostlund, who then sent the puck across to Quinn for a shot from the right circle.
These details are drawn directly from the NHL article covering the contest, which provides the timestamps, coach’s remarks, and contextual statistics that explain McKenna’s reduced role in that particular game.