Grandfather proud of player, person McKenna has become on way to 2026 Draft

The 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The first round will be Friday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) and rounds 2-7 on Saturday (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

Long before Gavin McKenna emerged as the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, Joe Mason simply saw a little boy who loved the game.

"I see Gavin as my grandson, simply playing a sport that he's loved his whole life," Mason told NHL.com. "I can’t remember a time where hockey wasn’t one of the most important things in his life."

That's how Mason still talks about McKenna, even as the forward from Whitehorse, Yukon, is discussed as the top pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2026 draft at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Friday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS).

McKenna, a freshman left wing at Penn State University in the Big Ten, had 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) in 35 games this season. He set or tied nine school records, and was named a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the best player in Division I men's hockey.

To Mason, the dazzling playmaker with the high-end vision and Patrick Kane-like comparisons still is the same grandson who fell in love with hockey on the backyard rink and carried that joy with him everywhere.

"He constantly impresses me with his team play, always striving to do whatever it takes to improve himself and his team," Mason said.

And what stands out just as much to him is the person Gavin is away from the rink.

"Off the ice he's family-oriented and loves outdoor activities," the 72-year-old said.

That balance did not happen by accident. It was built through family, tradition and the example Mason tried to set.

McKenna, 18, wouldn't be the player he is without the lessons learned from his grandfather. A member of the Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin First Nation, Mason endured Canada's residential school system, which for more than a century separated Indigenous children from their families, under the auspices of giving them a Catholic education. However, later investigations showed many of the children suffered physical, mental and sexual abuse, leading to generational trauma.

That background has given McKenna perspective.

"Knowing he could go through all that stuff and still get to where he's at today, I can't take anything for granted," McKenna said. "If I've got something going on in my life that's hard, I know it's nothing compared to what he's gone through. Been a huge motivator for me, especially when times are hard."

For Mason, it always has mattered that his grandchildren understood the deeper story behind their family’s path as members of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation.

"Many First Nation communities share deep historic experiences and values," he said. "Today, due to the dedication of many, Tr’ondëk is self-governing and the cultures and traditions are thriving."

Those experiences became life lessons for Gavin and his sisters, Madison and Kasey. Mason wanted his grandchildren to grow up grounded in something bigger than the moment, bigger even than hockey.

"For me, it's important my grandchildren express the shared values of respect for the family, the community and the land, and to be caring and grateful for what they have," Mason said.

Gavin said those lessons became a source of strength during difficult moments at Penn State, when the grind of college hockey and life away from home in Whitehorse tested him. Hearing that means everything to Mason.

"I'm very proud of Gavin and the resilience he has shown," Mason said. "Life will always have its ups and downs, but it's how you handle them, learn from them, and move forward that matters."

Maybe that’s why some of Mason's favorite memories of Gavin are not tied to packed arenas or stat sheets, but to the outdoor rink built by Gavin's father, Willy. That's where the future star sharpened his edge, one homemade drill at a time.

"Skating with Gavin and watching him improve was pretty cool to see," Mason said. "In fact, despite me being a hockey player, he outskated me by the time he was 10 years old."

He laughs at that memory, but it also reveals what made Gavin stand out so early.

"He was one of those special kids who set up his own drills and worked until he conquered them, particularly stickhandling and skating," Mason said. "He'd tell me what he needed to construct for his drills and I'd construct it out of wood material."

Those moments say as much about Mason as they do about Gavin as the family’s roots stretch far beyond the rink. Mason still talks lovingly about "the cabin," the small two-story place he built in 2005 near a trapline. It took a year to complete and remains a gathering place for the family.

"It holds special memories for all the grandchildren as at a young age they had the freedom to ATV in summer, (snowmobile) in winter, to hunt moose and small game in the fall and to go berry picking," Mason said. "It also represents bedtime stories, campfires and fun."

That's the meaning behind the tattoo on Gavin's right forearm, the one tied to "strong childhood memories of happy family times out on the land," as Mason put it.

When the moment finally comes when grandparents Joe and Karen Mason hear Gavin's name called on Friday, Joe already knows how it will feel.

"We couldn't be prouder or more excited for him," he said. "We’ve seen him work so hard and sacrifice so much to follow his dream. Having him leave home at such a young age (12) was extremely hard on everyone, but we are so happy for him that his determination and work ethic have paid off."