Maple Leafs select Gavin McKenna No. 1 overall in 2026 NHL Draft
As if there was any doubt?
On Friday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected forward Gavin McKenna, 18, with the first overall pick of the 2026 NHL Draft at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.
McKenna’s status as the top prospect heading into this year’s draft has been a constant, dating back to his days with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League. He was both the No. 1 prospect on Daily Faceoff analyst Steven Ellis‘ final rankings, as well as NHL Central Scouting’s top North American skater.
In his final season in junior, the Whitehorse, Y.T. native scored an incredible 129 points in 56 games. He went on to add another 38 points in 16 playoff games, helping the Tigers win the Ed Chynoweth Cup, and advance to the Memorial Cup. McKenna was named the CHL and WHL Player of the Year, pushing Medicine Hat to the Memorial Cup final, ultimately losing to the London Knights.
McKenna was one of the big names from major junior to take advantage of the new NCAA rules, electing to play collegiately in the United States at Penn State University. After a rocky start, he found his groove under Guy Gadowsky and became one of the country’s top scorers. He ended up scoring 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points, finishing tied for fifth in the NCAA in scoring. Along with helping the Nittany Lions reach the national tournament, McKenna was a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.
On top of all that, he’s a decorated player at the junior international level. He helped Canada win gold at the 2024 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship and 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, before taking home the bronze from the IIHF World Junior Championship this past January.
There are so many things to like about McKenna’s game. His vision with the puck is outstanding, and he exudes a confidence that few players his age possess. McKenna has the ability to bring a new sense of life to Toronto after what was a very tumultuous 2025-26 season.
This was the first time the Maple Leafs had the top pick in the draft in 10 years – coincidentally, that last time the event was held in Buffalo. That year, the team took Auston Matthews, a selection that helped change the fate of the Original Six franchise.