Add in the fact that, for the second time in a decade, the hated Maple Leafs will have the No. 1 pick in a draft held in Buffalo. In 2016 Toronto found itself in a similar position and selected forward Auston Matthews No. 1, igniting a cascade of boos inside KeyBank Center.
If that’s the type of reception he gets Friday, not to mention the first time he plays in Buffalo in a Toronto jersey, his response is simple: Bring it on.
“I mean, if I’m not drafted (by Buffalo), I want to be a villain wherever I go,” he said, adding that if he’s picked by Toronto, then “I guess if that’s how it goes, then that’s how it goes.”
He laughed, as did the congregation of media on hand.
It was that way throughout his 10-minute press conference. He was at ease. The answers came naturally. They didn’t seem as if they were scripted.
“This is obviously something I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid,” he said.
In essence, he seems like someone who is ready for the moment, with whatever notoriety that goes with it.
He got a taste of that when he and his family attended the World Cup game in Toronto between Croatia and Panama on Tuesday. He admits being recognized by a handful of fans who were cordial to him.
“It was super cool,” he said. “It was my first ever soccer game that I’ve been to, so for it to be a World Cup game, it was pretty special. I took my grandparents and parents, obviously, and they had a blast.
“There were a few interactions (with spectators), but nothing too crazy.”
That will change should he become a Maple Leaf.
Perhaps the determining factor will come down to the visit Maple Leafs new general manager John Chayka paid him in Whitehorse several weeks ago. The experience included McKenna taking Chayka on a picturesque ride in an off-road vehicle.
“I always carry that Yukon pride with me,” McKenna said. “And got to show (Chayka) a little bit of it. I hope he had a good time.
“He was smiling when I took him up on the mountain. So I had fun, and I hope he did.”
It seems like a lock the Maple Leafs will take McKenna, but keep in mind that Chayka and advisor Mats Sundin are capable of surprises at any time. The best example of that was the unexpected hiring of coach Jim Hiller, who was formally introduced at Ford Performance Center on Thursday.
But with the start of the first round looming Friday, it won’t take long to find out just how much enjoyment Chayka really did have if the Maple Leafs call out McKenna’s name Friday.
If …
