As expected, Maple Leafs draft McKenna at No. 1
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- Toronto Maple Leafs selected 18-year-old winger Gavin McKenna first overall at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, with Justin Bieber announcing the pick — a nod to McKenna's planned walk-up song "Yukon" given his Whitehorse, Yukon roots.
- McKenna set Penn State freshman records with 36 assists and 51 points in 35 games this season after the NCAA opened eligibility to former CHL players, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors.
- McKenna previously starred for the Medicine Hat Tigers, winning a 2025 WHL championship and Player of the Year while posting 79 goals and 165 points in 133 games across his WHL tenure.
- McKenna honored his Indigenous heritage on draft night with a suit featuring orange lining, photos of loved ones, and wolf clan beads hand-beaded by his sister.
- Toronto is in transition under new GM John Chayka and new coach Jim Hiller, who replaced Brad Trelaving and Craig Berube after both were fired this spring; captain Auston Matthews sent McKenna a welcome video.
- Before the draft, the Leafs acquired defenseman Darren Raddysh from Tampa Bay on an 8-year, $68 million extension and traded goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to Philadelphia for Samuel Ersson, whose rights were then flipped to Ottawa.
Why it matters: Toronto is banking on McKenna's playmaking to fill the offensive void left by Mitch Marner's sign-and-trade departure to Vegas, with captain Auston Matthews openly welcoming a potential future linemate. The pick also marks the Leafs' first major move under new GM John Chayka and new coach Jim Hiller, both installed this offseason after Toronto missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
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