I was selected in the third round, #17 overall in 1963. At that time you were owned by the NHL team that sponsored the Junior team you played for. This meant I would be part of the Toronto Maple Leafs system. I was sent to the minors after my first training camp with the team. Being sent down and then realizing I was only a fringe player on a minor league team was a kick in the teeth. It was a very low and depressing point in my life. All my self-doubts and fears, that were not apparent to outsiders, reappeared.
While in the minors in Rochester, my roommate was Don Cherry and he, as well as my teammates, saved me by not allowing me to completely lose confidence in my abilities. The minors allowed me to work hard at my game in a less pressure-filled environment, and within three years I had learned and improved enough to be brought up to the Maple Leafs full-time for the start of the 1968-69 season.
Tip: In life, what seems at first to be a step backwards—in Jim’s case, being cut from the Toronto Maple Leafs—is often not. Working hard in the minors allowed Jim McKenny to take his game to a new level and prepared the foundation for a long pro career. Setbacks often are the precursor for greater results.
Jim Mckenny played mainly for the Toronto Maple Leafs over his professional career which spanned 604 games, and 329 total points.
