Patrick Marleau did for Auston Matthews exactly what Matthews is about to do for Gavin McKenna
Photo credit: Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images
Auston Matthews had Patrick Marleau to mentor him and now Gavin McKenna is going to get the same treatment from none other than the captain himself.
Patrick Marleau took Auston Matthews under his wing and prepared him to lead the Maple Leafs. Gavin McKenna is coming in and Matthews is about to do the same. If the two can find the same type of bond like Matthews and Marleau did years ago - Toronto is going to be in serious business.
When the Maple Leafs drafted Auston Matthews first overall, he was lucky enough to have a guy who came in a year later and not only wanted to take him under his wing and mentor him but make him one of the greatest leaders in NHL history: Patrick Marleau.
Marleau showed a young Auston Matthews how to navigate the NHL under intense pressure
Though he was part of the team towards the latter part of his career, Marleau still put in an incredible effort during his two seasons with Toronto. In 164 games he recorded 43 goals and 84 points while adding seven points in 14 playoff contests.
But it was his friendship and mentorship of Matthews that was really important. The future captain lived with Marleau and developed a close bond with him, often watching movies, spending time with Marleau's kids and even learned to play Euchre from the veteran.
Matthews joked back in 2017 that he and Marner were Marleau's road kids considering how much time they spent together:
Everybody says that Patty's got four kids at home and two on the road because he kinda takes care of me and Mitchy.
When Marleau left the Maple Leafs in 2019, Matthews was one of the first to wish him well and mentioned how hard it was to see him leave:
Sad day today. What an honor it was to play with an unbelievable player and an even better person. Gonna miss sitting next to you in the room and seeing you every day. Thanks for welcoming me into your family and treating me like one of your own.
I learned so much from you both on and off the ice and I'll cherish your friendship and the memories we had the last two years forever. My brother for life. Love you Patty
I learned so much from you both on and off the ice and I'll cherish your friendship and the memories we had the last two years forever. My brother for life. Love you Patty
Knowing how heartbreaking it is to have your mentor leave, Matthews is going to make sure that if he does leave then McKenna is set up for success.
That's the type of leadership that moulded Matthews into the captain he is today. Marleau understood the talent level of Matthews would not get him through the NHL on its own, so he wanted to make sure he fostered a caring and nurturing environment for him to thrive in; and prepare for the pressures of having the 'C' on your jersey.
Gavin McKenna is walking into the same transition period Matthews did but now the captain is the mentor
Time truly is a flat circle, where no matter how much things change; they come back around eventually. So now with a decade of experience and a talented, generational talent coming into the fold it's time for Auston Matthews to take the next step from leader to mentor.
Toronto hasn't really had a rookie the likes of McKenna in the entirety of the Matthews era, as it was a lot of veteran pieces who came in to help in the playoffs. Easton Cowan was here last year but injuries and lineup issues didn't really give him the chance to run together like he and Marleau.
But with McKenna in 2026-27, Matthews has a duty to make sure that he prepares him for the rigours of the NHL world. He is going to have immense pressure on his shoulders and every single mistake will be put under the microscope so he needs to learn quickly how to adapt.
Marleau was never captain of the Maple Leafs though he certainly acted like one when he was here, and it was all part of the plan to transition Auston Matthews from teenage sensation, to undeniable star, to franchise leader. Right now, he's in the middle of trying to lead the team to glory after 10 years of disappointment.
He's also about to give Gavin McKenna a world of knowledge about how to make it in the NHL and he could be preparing him to take over - potentially sooner than we anticipated.
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