What Do You Mean Justin Bieber announced the Toronto Maple Leafs’ pick at the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft?
The Canadian singer was at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Friday to announce the first overall pick in the draft.
“I’ve been a Leafs fan since I was just a little boy,” Bieber said on his way to greet NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on stage. “These nights are so special. I’m so grateful to be here.”
He then announced that the Maple Leafs selected Gavin McKenna off the board.
“Mr. McKenna, we’d like to draft you to the Toronto Maple Leafs!” Bieber announced.
McKenna shook Bettman’s hand, then Bieber’s, on stage.
And McKenna’s background music as he walked on stage? Justin Bieber, of course.
The 18-year-old picked Bieber's “Yukon” as his walk-up song as a tribute to his hometown of Whitehorse, Yukon.
“To all the Yukoners out there, this song is for you,” McKenna said in an interview after the pick was announced. “Thanks Justin.”
Yukon was celebrating on Friday, too, as McKenna’s hometown hosted a watch party at the local ice rink to commemorate the big night.
Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews filmed a video congratulating McKenna, which played in the arena after the pick.
"I know how exciting this is for you and your family, and what an incredible honor it is,” Matthews said in the video. “Congratulations, we're just as excited to have you join the Maple Leafs and cannot wait to get started.”
Bieber is a longtime hockey fan and served as a celebrity captain at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
He also notably skipped out on the 2025 Met Gala in New York City to watch the Maple Leafs during the second round of that year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Seems like McKenna’s the one, yeah, he’s the one, yeah.
