- Sergei Bobrovsky addressed skating out ahead of Gavin McKenna’s rookie lap
- The Maple Leafs goalie says he went to McKenna afterward to own it
- Read below for the video of Bobrovsky’s explanation and his joke about the mix-up
Sergei Bobrovsky didn’t mean to crash Gavin McKenna’s big moment.
The Maple Leafs goalie was asked Friday about stepping onto the Scotiabank Arena ice right before McKenna’s rookie lap in Tuesday’s opener against the Canadiens. He said the tradition never crossed his mind.
“I just completely forgot,” Bobrovsky said. “I didn’t think about it. I completely forgot. I came to him and I also told him.”
Watch Bobrovsky explain the mix-up:
He couldn’t keep a straight face once he got to what he told the rookie.
“So I pretended that it was my first game too,” Bobrovsky said with a laugh. “But no, I didn’t mean to do that. So it just happened by accident.”
Not a bad recovery line from a guy with two Stanley Cup rings. Here’s the answer that cleared it all up:
That’s a different story than the one going around after the opener. The clip of Bobrovsky leading McKenna out of the tunnel went viral, and plenty of fans chalked it up to the 38-year-old’s famously strict pregame routine.
Hockey’s rookie lap is about as simple as traditions get. A player making his NHL debut skates out alone for warmups while his teammates hang back in the tunnel. McKenna, the first overall pick in 2026, still got his lap, just with a two-time Vezina winner already out there with him.
Take another look at the lap:
Neither of them got the result they wanted that night. Montreal spoiled the home opener with a 3-2 win, and Bobrovsky took the loss on 21 saves. Anthony Stolarz started the next night and beat the Islanders 2-1 to get Toronto to 1-1.
Toronto hosts the Senators on Saturday. McKenna is still hunting his first NHL point, and Bobrovsky is still looking for his first win in a Toronto sweater.
