Gavin McKenna becomes the first ever Penn State player to be selected first overall in the NHL Draft.
Penn State hockey has its first ever number one overall draft pick.
The Toronto Maple Leafs selected winger Gavin McKenna first overall, who played last season with the Nittany Lions, and posted 15 goals, 36 assists and 51 points in the 2026 NHL Draft.
For the past two years, McKenna has unequivocally been the top rated skater in this year’s NHL Draft, and it wasn’t even close.
From the time he posted 129 points in 56 games with the Western Hockey League’s Medicine Hat Tigers, there’s been a white hot light zeroed in on the superstar.
And from the looks of it, he hasn’t backed down one bit.
Over the years, NHL executives tend to zig when others zag, which is why in media circles, there was a general wondering about if Toronto was going to select McKenna.
But in reality, bringing in the top skater to a hockey-crazy market like Toronto was a no-brainer.
Leafs General Manager John Chayka was incredibly impressed with the young man.
"I got the chance to spend time with Gavin in Whitehorse, and he is a unique player and person. It is an amazing story.
He never had a skills coach until he was 13. He didn’t have a skating coach until he was 13. He was not in the gym until he was 15. It is that Canadian story of being out in the rink, love for the game, and passion for the game. His unique ability to break down the game and create offensive chances is special... But I am really impressed with Gavin, of course.”
The Maple Leafs had a disaster of a season last season, finishing second to last in the Eastern Conference, after losing the extremely talented Mitch Marner.
And with the departure of Marner, and the lost season, there was serious concern around the organization that superstar center Auston Matthews may have been inching out the door.
With McKenna’s vision and patience, he’s the perfect partner for Matthews, who scored 69 goals a few seasons ago.
When asked prior to the Draft, McKenna didn’t pull any punches on the possible fit with the sniper.
“My game is a playmaker,” McKenna said when asked about Matthews. “I can think the game very well, and I can find guys in spots where not many people can find them, so if you put me with a shooter, it could be pretty lethal.”
The 2026-27 NHL season begins on September 29.
