McKenna shares emotional night with family, goes No. 1 to Maple Leafs in 2026 Draft

BUFFALO — Gavin McKenna watched Justin Bieber walk toward the stage at KeyBank Center on Friday and wondered what name the famous performer would call out.

The pop superstar is a crazed Toronto Maple Leafs fan and was selected by the franchise to announce the No. 1 pick in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft. Would it, in fact, be McKenna, the top-ranked North American skater by Central Scouting who had been linked to the Maple Leafs since Toronto won the NHL Draft Lottery on May 5, leapfrogging from No. 5 to No. 1?

The 18-year-old left wing knew there was a good chance, given the interest the Maple Leafs had shown the past six weeks. Included in that: a visit by Toronto general manager John Chayka to see him in his hometown of Whitehorse, Yukon, last month, followed by subsequent interactions with Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews.

“He texted me after the (NHL scouting) combine and we’ve communicated a bit since then,” McKenna told NHL.com when asked about Matthews.

Still, it wasn’t until he locked eyes with Bieber that the reality of becoming a Maple Leaf really sunk in.

“He was looking at me, so I was thinking, kind of, maybe,” McKenna said with a laugh.

Seconds later, his suspicions were confirmed when Bieber, standing on the stage with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, pointed at the couches in the front row where McKenna and his family were sitting.

“Mr. McKenna, we’d like to draft you to the Toronto Maple Leafs!” Bieber said.

The throng of Maple Leafs fans in attendance stood up and cheered their approval. Sabres supporters responded with loud jeers aimed at their rivals from Toronto, a 90-mile drive to the north. All the while, there were hugs for McKenna all around, with parents Krystal and Willy, with sisters Madison and Kasey, with his grandfather Joe Mason, his mentor.

With good reason.

On this special night, he became only the third No. 1 pick in Maple Leafs history, joining Matthews (2016) and Wendel Clark (1985). As such, here he was, walking up to the stage in Buffalo, 3,407 miles southeast of Whitehorse, fittingly accompanied by Bieber’s tune “Yukon.”

What could be better on this, the most memorable day of his life?

“Special moment for sure,” McKenna said. “This is a dream come true. To hug my family and walk up on the stage, see Justin Bieber … “

He paused to collect his emotions.

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

Seconds later, it would get even better.

Up on the big screen at the front of the stage, a special video message for McKenna appeared courtesy of Matthews.

"I know how exciting this is for you and your family, and what an incredible honor it is,” Matthews told McKenna. “Congratulations, we’re just as excited to have you join the Maple Leafs, and cannot wait to get started. You're coming to a franchise with an amazing history and fanbase, and we're all working to write the next great chapter together, and you're going to be a very important part of that. 

“To all the fans of the Leafs draft party at Scotiabank Arena, thank you for your passion and your support, and we're looking forward to seeing you guys back in Toronto very soon.”

Matthews’ words resonated with McKenna. In fact, the newest Maple Leaf said it was his goal to earn the right to line up  with Toronto’s No. 34.

“Auston Matthews. My captain,” McKenna said. “I think he's a guy I'm looking forward to get to meet and potentially play with. I've watched him these last few years and he’s a special player.”

He shook his head in disbelief. 

“If I was a young kid telling myself where I would be (right now), I would be in shock."

* * * *

In the days leading up to the draft, McKenna admitted there were some butterflies churning in his gut.

Then came a pleasant surprise, one that helped settle him down.

Unknown to him, Ryder Ritchie, his former junior teammate and someone he considers to be like a brother, arrived in Buffalo on Thursday.

When McKenna was 12 years old, he left his family and moved to Kelowna, B.C., in order to play more competitive hockey. There he billeted with the Ritchie family and quickly became best friends with Ryder, a bond that continues to this day. To that end, every summer, Gavin and Ryder compete in something they call the Summer Games, trying to outdo each other in a variety of sports.

Ryder Ritchie, son of former NHLer Byron Ritchie, was selected in the second round (No. 45) in the 2024 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild. McKenna said he had no idea that Ryder was coming to Buffalo.

“He caught me off guard when he showed up here,” McKenna said. “It was great. We hung out, and he crashed in my room.

“I didn’t have the best sleep last night with all the excitement but it’s all good.”

McKenna began the day Friday with a great distraction that, at least temporarily, took his mind off the draft. He joined fellow prospects Ivar Stenberg, a forward with Frolunda, Sault Ste. Marie defenseman Chase Reid, Brampton forward Caleb Malhotra, North Dakota defenseman Keaton Verhoeff, Munchen defenseman Alberts Smits and members of the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition (PIC) for the NHL Draft Top Prospect Youth Hockey Clinic at HarborCenter. There, he shared laughs with a group of wide-eyed kids along with NHL alumni like Anson Carter, Anthony Stewart and Georges Laraque.

“This whole week, I’ve just wanted it to be Friday,” he said afterward. “So it’s here now, and kind of gives you chills thinking about it.”

He would get more of them later Friday afternoon when he walked down the red carpet into KeyBank Center. Among the hundreds of spectators lining the walkway were at least a dozen already wearing customized Maple Leafs McKenna jerseys with his name and No. 72 on the back.

It was yet another reminder of the rabid fan base that would be supporting him if the Maple Leafs subsequently selected him.

But the best fashion statement was made by McKenna himself, who became just the second First Nations player to be drafted first overall. He joins Dale McCourt, who was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 1977 and later went on to play for the Maple Leafs in 1983-84.

On the inside lining of his suit jacket were photos of family and teammates who had helped him get to this point. On the front he wore a pair of beaded wolf pins, a tribute to his family’s Indigenous roots, with his grandpa being a member of the Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin First Nation. 

“It’s all about family and my Yukon heritage,” he said. “It’s expensive to go elsewhere when you’re young and trying to hone your skills. 

"Without them, without the people who supported me, I wouldn’t be here.”

* * * *

Now comes the next chapter in Toronto, a hockey fishbowl like he’s never experienced.

Bring it on, he said.

“I’m ready for it,” McKenna confidently vowed. “Being a Canadian kid and going to the biggest hockey market in the world … I love those fans already. It’s one of the most passionate fan bases out there.”

Judging by the ovation he received upon being selected by the Maple Leafs, he’s already had a taste of it.

McKenna had 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) in 35 games with Penn State of the NCAA this season. And while he doesn’t have to be the savior of a team that already has stars like Matthews and William Nylander, there is an expectation from both the fan base and, for that matter, McKenna himself, that he’ll be a significant contributor as a rookie for the Maple Leafs next season.

For its part, the Toronto braintrust did its due diligence in coming to a consensus that McKenna was the right player for the Maple Leafs.

“We’ve spent a lot of time with him and his family,” Chayka told reporters in Toronto Thursday. “Just going through that process — we want to make sure we get the person right, first and foremost. Everyone’s seen him play and knows his skill level and the talent. But as we think about a Toronto Maple Leaf and what that means, we were just really digging into that part. 

“It’s about getting the right person. In a market like this, I don’t think you can miss on that.”

Chayka then elaborated on McKenna’s background.

“You know, he’s a small-town kid,” Chayka said. “Within that, I think there’s some real resolve with who he is, and what his career means to him and his family. I find it impressive.

“The quality of the family, the quality of the people, how much family means to him. His roots, how important it is for him to give back to his community that’s given him so much. I think those are all really interesting things.”

So, it seems, was the trip he and Chayka took up a Yukon peak in an off-road vehicle during the GM's visit there.

Asked what he said to Chayka on that memorable excursion that might have convinced the Maple Leafs to eventually pick him, McKenna laughed.

“I don’t think I said anything that swayed him,” he said with a chuckle. “But, as we were on the top of that mountain, he was smiling so I think he was having fun.”

Now, weeks later, they're going to try to help the Maple Leafs reach those same heights on the NHL landscape.

Bieber, for one, thinks McKenna can play a part in getting the Maple Leafs there.

“I know this guy is going to kill it,” Bieber said.

On this special night, he already did.