2026 NHL Draft Diary: Gavin McKenna

Gavin McKenna of Penn State University in the Big Ten will file a draft diary for NHL.com this season leading up to the 2026 NHL Draft. The 17-year-old freshman left wing (5-foot-11, 170 pounds), who was born in Whitehorse, Yukon, received an A rating on NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list in October. He is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The fourth youngest player in men's college hockey, McKenna has six points (one goal, five assists) and 22 shots on goal in six games. He was second in the Western Hockey League last season with 129 points (41 goals, 88 assists) in 56 games with Medicine Hat and was named player of the year in the WHL and the Canadian Hockey League.

Hello hockey fans.

I'm looking forward to filing a monthly diary for NHL.com this season during my first season at Penn State.

I was born in a very supportive home in Whitehorse. My dad, Willy, would build us a hockey rink in the backyard each winter, and I also had a little hockey room in our house downstairs. It was a very hockey-filled household. My dad was always pushing me, trying to get me to get hours on the outdoor rink and I was always playing hockey with my little sister downstairs. It was a fun household to be in.

Outside of hockey, I like going home to Whitehorse when I can. I don't get to go up there much recently, but when I'm there, I like to dirt-bike and get out on the land, go fishing and things like that. I used to be a big hunter but I'm not home for hunting season anymore. I golf with my buddies ... I just enjoy being a kid.

Now at Penn State when I’m away from the rink, I just like hanging out with the guys. In the Western Hockey League the houses are spread out across the city, but here everyone lives so close, so whenever I get a chance I want to be with the guys and hang out with them. Whether it's at the rink, in the dorms or the hockey house, we have a lot of fun. We have a really tight group of guys so just spending time with them, whether it's making steaks for dinner or whatever, it's a lot of fun.

My favorite school subject right now is "Recreation, Park and Tourism Management." I like it because it’s been introducing me to real-world things. I've made a resume, a business card, an email signature, which are valuable things to just have in your life. You never know when you'll need that stuff.

I'm asked a lot why I made the decision to take the college route at Penn State. I think first of all, I wanted to go to college to push myself and prepare myself for the NHL, hopefully in the coming year. I think playing against older, stronger guys will help me with that. I think Penn State, seeing what they did last year to go to the Frozen Four, I wanted to come to a winning program, and I thought this was the spot to be. When I toured the campus and saw the facilities and all the resources they have, it was pretty hard to say no.

The coaching staff at Penn State has been great, led by head coach Guy Gadowsky. The staff is so competitive on and off the ice. They're always pushing us to be our best at almost everything we do, whether it's in the gym, playing ping pong or on the ice, whatever it is. They're always pushing us. I think it helps when you have coaches who are energetic like that. It brings the mood up and you want to play well for them. "Gadz" is also an offensive coach and encourages you to be creative with the puck. This team loves to score and that really fits my playing style.

Scoring my first collegiate goal (game-winner in 4-2 victory) at Arizona State on Oct. 4 was pretty special.

I remember it was a tight game and we got a late power play. I saw Mac Gadowsky coming up the left side and he fed me a nice pass right through the seam, and I took my shot and put it far side under the bar (to give Penn State a 3-2 lead). I just remember the crowd was giving it to me all weekend, so decided I'd hit them with the forks down "celly" and kind of give it back to them in that moment. My family was in the building. They don't get to watch me much, so for me to score for them, that was pretty cool.

I know it's Halloween season. I was asked what superhero or villain I would dress as if given the choice. Well, maybe Batman. He's just a cool superhero.

I know there's a lot of talk about the draft and how I could be that guy who potentially goes No. 1 overall. That really motivates you. When you see other guys and hear about other names, it motivates you to stay at the top. With that comes a lot of pressure, but it's something I've dealt with my whole life, so I definitely cherish it and it's a goal of mine. I'm going to be working hard for it.

Thanks for checking in this month. Happy Halloween.