Pro Career
He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third round of the 1963 NHL Amateur Draft, 17th Overall. He had difficulty staying in the NHL early in his career and often played forward instead of his usual position on defense. He was called up from the Marlies to play 2 games with the Leafs in the 1965–66 season. He was given two other opportunities to make the Leafs team in 1966-67 during their successful run for the Stanley Cup and the following season, but only played a total of eleven games. However, on Feb. 24, 1968 he scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over Boston which was the second of his NHL career. He was not promoted to stay on the Maple Leafs for several years, attributed to a poor attitude, possibly his alcoholism and his antipathy towards the high-pressure style of coach and GM Punch Imlach. He played in the minor leagues for the Tulsa Oilers (CPHL), the Rochester Americans (AHL), and the Vancouver Canucks (WHL). McKenny and Don Cherry were roommates when on the road with the Rochester Americans.
He finally made the Toronto Maple Leafs on a full-time basis in 1969–70, after Imlach was no longer with the organization, and became one of the Leafs top defensmen for eight seasons. As of 2008, McKenny has the fourth-highest points total for Leafs defencemen, after Börje Salming, Tim Horton and Ian Turnbull, accumulating 327 points (81 goals, 246 assists) in 594 games. He was paired frequently with former Marlboro team-mate Brian Glennie as his offensive skills complemented the hard-hitting, defense-oriented Glennie. In 1974 McKenny played in the NHL All-Star Game. In 1971 he appeared in the movie "Face-Off" as the skating stand-in for Art Hindle.
At the end of his career, he was sent down to the Central Hockey League's Dallas Black Hawks for the 1977–78 season. Despite the demotion he was named to the CHL's Second All-Star Team. In May 1978, he was traded to the Minnesota North Stars for whom he played only ten games before retiring from the NHL. He played one season in Europe for Swiss and French teams before retiring from hockey.
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