Toronto Maple Leafs select Gavin McKenna First Overall In 2026 NHL Draft

The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted 18-year-old left wing Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. 

(Image credit to Allen Boguslavsky via Pexels)

Gavin McKenna was selected as the first overall pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2026 NHL Draft. The 18-year-old left wing from Yukon was widely regarded as the top prospect for this year’s draft. 

“It was a very special moment… getting hugged by my family after all these years of hard work and sacrifices that we’ve all put into this,” McKenna said. “For it to finally be here and experience that moment was one I’ll remember forever, and one of, if not the best days of my life.” 

Pop star and self-described die-hard Maple Leafs fan Justin Bieber announced the pick on stage, the same arena where Toronto selected the current captain Auston Matthews with the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft.  

“Mr. McKenna, we would like to draft you to the Toronto Maple Leafs,” Bieber announced on stage. 

Gavin McKenna finished tied for fifth in the NCAA with 51 points (15 goals and 36 assists) in 35 games for Penn State this season. He was a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, presented annually to the top NCAA men’s hockey player. 

Before college, McKenna torched the Western Hockey League with the Medicine Hat Tigers, winning Canadian Hockey League Player of the Year and putting together a 54-game point streak during the 2024-25 season. 

The 18-year-old wore a suit jacket that included photos of his family and brooches paying homage to his Canadian Indigenous roots. “Without those people, I wouldn’t be here today, so the least I can do is put them in my suit jacket,” McKenna said. 

McKenna joins a talented forward group at the Toronto Maple Leafs that includes Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Matthew Knies and John Tavares. 

“Gavin is an exceptional young man with tremendous talent and character,” Toronto general manager John Chayka said. “Throughout this process, we had the opportunity to get to know him and his family, and each interaction strengthened our belief in him as both a player and a person. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the Toronto Maple Leafs.” 

Ivar Stenberg, a left wing with Frolunda in the Swedish Hockey League, was picked No. 2 by the Sharks. Stenberg is excited to one day play alongside Macklin Celebrini. 

Center Caleb Malhotra of Brantford in the Ontario Hockey League was selected No. 3 by the Vancouver Canucks. He will join his father, Manny Malhotra, who was named coach of the Canucks on June 1. 

Article written by Jana Van Nieuwenborgh