It was just an accident, Leafs Nation.
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky addressed joining Gavin McKenna on the ice for his rookie lap ahead of the team's home opener on Tuesday at practice on Friday.
"I just completely forgot. I didn't think about it," Bobrovsky told reporters. "I completely forgot. I came to him and I also told him. So I pretended that it was my first game too. But no, I didn't mean to do that. So it just happened by accident."
McKenna, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, was meant to get the solo lap around the ice for his first taste of NHL action. However, Bobrovsky stepped onto the ice ahead of McKenna, while the rest of the Leafs' lineup remained in the tunnel.
Bobrovsky leading him out got plenty of mixed reactions online.
Tuesday was also Bobrovsky's first game as a Maple Leaf after he inked a three-year, $ 21 million deal with Toronto in the off-season.
The 38-year-old made 21 saves on 24 shots in the 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
