McKenna says he’d be ‘pretty pumped’ if taken No. 1 by Maple Leafs at 2026 NHL Draft

BUFFALO -- If …

If the Toronto Maple Leafs select Penn State forward Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft at KeyBank Center on Friday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS), the 18-year-old appears poised to handle playing in Canada’s largest city for a rabid fanbase that hasn’t seen a Stanley Cup victory since 1967.

Again, that’s if they take him.

Though the native of Whitehorse, Yukon who played this past season at Penn State University is the favorite to be selected by Toronto, nothing will be set in stone until the name is officially announced, especially with Frolunda left wing Ivar Stenberg also in the mix. 

But if McKenna does land in Toronto, judging from his media availability with other top prospects on Thursday, he’d embrace playing for the Maple Leafs and all that goes with it, the good and the bad.

“Toronto is such a big fan base and passionate fan base,” McKenna said Thursday.  “So if I do get drafted there, I’d be pretty pumped.”

He began understanding the enormity of what playing for the Maple Leafs would mean just 24 hours after Toronto won the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery and the No. 1 pick on May 5.

During Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Second Round between the Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres, a Toronto fan in the crowd drew attention (primarily jeers) by showing up in a custom-made Maple Leafs jersey with McKenna’s name and No. 72 on the back.

At KeyBank Center.

The same place where he’ll be drafted -- perhaps by those same Maple Leafs -- on Friday. 

“It was pretty cool to see that,” he said, grinning from ear to ear.

When asked if he grasped how much his life could change if selected by Toronto, he said, “I mean, it’s kind of hard too …but yeah, it’s pretty cool.”

As one Buffalo-based reporter pointed out, being drafted by the Maple Leafs will make him an instant villain in these parts.

After all, it’s only a 99-mile drive from Scotiabank Arena, home of the Maple Leafs, to KeyBank Center. Such a close proximity has made the Buffalo-Toronto matchups a lingering rivalry despite the fact they’ve met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on one occasion (1999).

Add in the fact that, for the second time in a decade, the hated Maple Leafs will have the No. 1 pick in a draft held in Buffalo. In 2016 Toronto found itself in a similar position and selected forward Auston Matthews No. 1, igniting a cascade of boos inside KeyBank Center.

If that’s the type of reception he gets Friday, not to mention the first time he plays in Buffalo in a Toronto jersey, his response is simple: Bring it on.

“I mean, if I’m not drafted (by Buffalo), I want to be a villain wherever I go,” he said, adding that if he’s picked by Toronto, then “I guess if that’s how it goes, then that’s how it goes.”

He laughed, as did the congregation of media on hand.

It was that way throughout his 10-minute press conference. He was at ease. The answers came naturally. They didn’t seem as if they were scripted.

“This is obviously something I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid,” he said. 

In essence, he seems like someone who is ready for the moment, with whatever notoriety that goes with it.

He got a taste of that when he and his family attended the World Cup game in Toronto between Croatia and Panama on Tuesday. He admits being recognized by a handful of fans who were cordial to him.

“It was super cool,” he said. “It was my first ever soccer game that I've been to, so for it to be a World Cup game, it was pretty special. I took my grandparents and parents, obviously, and they had a blast. 

“There were a few interactions (with spectators), but nothing too crazy.”

That will change should he become a Maple Leaf.

Perhaps the determining factor will come down to the visit Maple Leafs new general manager John Chayka paid him in Whitehorse several weeks ago. The experience included McKenna taking Chayka on a picturesque ride in an off-road vehicle.

“I always carry that Yukon pride with me,” McKenna said. “And got to show (Chayka) a little bit of it. I hope he had a good time. 

“He was smiling when I took him up on the mountain. So I had fun, and I hope he did.”

It seems like a lock the Maple Leafs will take McKenna, but keep in mind that Chayka and advisor Mats Sundin are capable of surprises at any time. The best example of that was the unexpected hiring of coach Jim Hiller, who was formally introduced at Ford Performance Center on Thursday.

But with the start of the first round looming Friday, it won’t take long to find out just how much enjoyment Chayka really did have if the Maple Leafs call out McKenna’s name Friday.

If …