Maple Leafs pick Gavin McKenna first overall: ‘A dream come true’

Дата публикации: 26-06-2026 23:38:47

McKenna is a supremely gifted left winger who has drawn comparisons to Patrick Kane

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BUFFALO — Gavin ­McKenna is a Toronto Maple Leaf.

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For a majority of Leafs Nation, your pre-draft wish has come true.

Weeks of speculation came to an end on Friday night at the KeyBank Center when the Leafs, for the third time in franchise history, made the first pick in the National Hockey League draft.

It’s McKenna, a supremely gifted left winger who has drawn comparisons to Patrick Kane, among others, for his ability to put the puck in the net and distribute it to others with above-average creativity and intelligence.

And what a way to be announced as the newest member of the Leafs: By pop superstar Justin Bieber, days after it was announced that ­McKenna’s walkout song upon being drafted would be Bieber’s “Yukon.”

Bieber walked down the middle of the draft floor and glanced to the set of couches where ­McKenna, a native of Whitehorse, Yukon, and his family were sitting.

“He was looking at me, so I was thinking, maybe,” McKenna said. “This is a dream come true, to hug my family and walk up on the stage, see Justin Bieber.

“This isn’t what I imagined when I was a young kid. It’s so much better.”

Bieber, on stage, then told ­McKenna “one of my dear friends couldn’t make it here tonight, but he has a message for you.”

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Message from Matthews

On the video board, Leafs captain Auston Matthews appeared.

“I know how exciting this is for you and your family,” Matthews said. “I’m just as excited to have you join the Maple Leafs and can’t wait to get started. You’re coming to a franchise with an amazing history and fan base. We’re all working to write the next great chapter together.”

McKenna and Bieber then embraced in a hug.

The Leafs fans in attendance brought the emotion, cheering loudly.

Quite the spectacle, no doubt.

Befitting, certainly, for a player who was just the third first pick overall in Leafs history, following Matthews in 2016 and Wendel Clark in 1985.

Clark went on to become one of the most popular Leafs in team history. Matthews already has set the franchise record for goals. Both were named captain and in their own ways have become part of Leafs lore.

There will be plenty of room for McKenna to put his stamp on the organization.

“Gavin is an exceptional young man with tremendous talent and character,” Leafs general manager John Chayka said in a statement. “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.

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“We’re thrilled to welcome him to the Toronto Maple Leafs.”

McKenna took a congratulatory phone call from Chayka and Leafs executive Mats Sundin.

A day earlier, Chayka said the staff’s decision on its first pick was “unanimous” but was careful not to say who it was.

What the 6-foot, 170-pound ­McKenna has done on the ice — dominating the Western Hockey League with the Medicine Hat Tigers for two seasons before recording an impressive 51 points in 35 games in 2025-26 at Penn State — has been well-documented.

Our first impression of McKenna, formed during a couple of interactions in the past few weeks, is that he’s an 18-year-old who has the right blend of confidence and humility.

He’s the first known Indigenous player selected first overall in nearly 50 years.

“I think it will show (Indigenous youth) that anything is possible,” ­McKenna said. “I want to make those young kids believe in themselves and I want to be a good role model for all of them.

“When I go home and see them, and see the smiles on their faces, it means the world to me. If I can be a good role model for them, that’s all I ask for.”

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Importantly, McKenna, who turns 19 in December, is ready to jump skates-first into the high intensity that is be the Toronto market.

“Pressure is a privilege,” ­McKenna said. “When you go to a fan base like that and you do well, it’s the best spot to be.

“It’s the biggest market out there. I’m confident in myself and I want to do good, so hopefully the fan base falls in love with me, and it’s a good time.”

On the way into the rink a few hours before the draft began, we spotted at least five people who were wearing a Leafs jersey with ­McKenna and his No. 72 on the back.

Gavin McKenna attends the 2026 NHL Draft Top Prospects Media Availability on June 25, 2026 in Buffalo, N.Y.

A new path

That McKenna helps represent a new path isn’t lost on anyone who bleeds blue and white.

“I love those fans already, and it’s one of the most passionate fan bases out there,” McKenna said. “I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

The expectation is that McKenna will get a shot on Matthews’ line once Jim Hiller’s first training camp as Leafs coach gets underway in September.

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After telling media he would choose “Auston Matthews, my captain” if he had to share a hockey card with another Leaf, McKenna said he’s won’t assume anything once camp starts.

“He’s on the first line,” McKenna said. “I’m going to have to prove myself to be able to play with a player like that, but that’s my goal.

“He’s a special player. If I got the opportunity to play with him, my game is a playmaker, he’s a shooter, I think we could complement each other pretty well.”

McKenna was whisked away to Toronto and will have a formal news conference at Saturday morning at the club’s practice facility.

What would he tell his younger self?

“I’d tell him we got it done,” McKenna said. “He’d be pretty happy. This is the first step in the new chapter of my life.”

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun

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