McKenna, projected No. 1 pick in 2026 NHL Draft, named CHL player of year

Gavin McKenna, expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, was named winner of the David Branch Award as the Canadian Hockey League player of the year Friday.

The 17-year-old forward is the third-youngest player to win the award, after John Tavares (2006-07) and Sidney Crosby (2003-04), each of whom was 16 when he won.

"It means a lot," McKenna said. "I think going into the year that was my goal. It's pretty special to win that now. I know my family will be proud and so will my teammates. I couldn't have done it without those guys.

"I don't think you win an award like this without teammates and guys around you. You need them. Hockey's not a one-man sport. You need every single guy and those guys all helped me, pushing me every single day in practice and helping me out in the games. Lot of credit to those guys."

McKenna was second in the Western Hockey League with 129 points (41 goals, 88 assists) in 56 regular-season games with Medicine Hat. He led the WHL with a plus-60 rating and won the Four Broncos Trophy as the league's most valuable player.

He was third in the WHL playoffs with 38 points (nine goals, 29 assists) in 16 games to help Medicine Hat win the league championship and advance to the Memorial Cup. He had six points (three goals, three assists) in four games and was named to the tournament all-star team.

McKenna ended the regular season with a 40-game point streak (100 points; 32 goals, 68 assists) that carried through the first 14 games of the WHL playoffs (37 points; eight goals, 29 assists). The combined 54-game point streak (137 points; 40 goals, 97 assists) is the longest in the CHL since 2000.

Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa, two of the top prospects for the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft, also took home awards.

Schaefer, a defenseman with Erie of the Ontario Hockey League, was named winner of the Top Prospect Award, finishing ahead of Seattle (WHL) defenseman Radim Mrtka and center Caleb Desnoyers of Moncton of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

Schaefer, expected to be selected by the New York Islanders with the No. 1 pick, had 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) and a plus-21 rating in 17 games this season. His season ended Dec. 27 because of a broken clavicle sustained playing for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, but he was cleared for contact May 1. The 17-year-old is No. 1 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters.

"It's a big year. You work super hard for it," Schaefer said. "I only played 17 games. ... A lot of guys played a lot of games, but I thought the reason I was ranked so high as a top draft prospect is because I worked as hard as I could in those 17 games and proved why."

Schaefer took part in all of the fitness testing during the NHL Scouting Combine presented by Fanatics on June 6 and 7 except for the bench press and pullups. He said now it's about getting to Los Angeles for the draft and learning his NHL destination.

The draft will be held at L.A. Live's Peacock Theater. The first round will be held June 27 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), with rounds 2-7 on June 28 (Noon ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN, SN1).

"There's nothing you can really control now," he said. "You just wait for the draft and to hear your name called. Just enjoy it. I'll be training the next couple weeks on and off the ice, shooting on [goalie and 2025 draft prospect Jack] Ivankovic. I'll be working on my shot there, sniping on him. Just doing things to get ready for the draft and then rookie camp afterward."

Mrtka, No. 5 in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, had 35 points (three goals, 32 assists) in 43 games after beginning the season playing in his native Czechia. Desnoyers, No. 7 in the final ranking, tied for fifth in the QMJHL with 84 points (35 goals, 49 assists) in 56 games.

Misa, a finalist for the David Branch Award, won the CHL Top Scorer Award after leading all players with 134 points (62 goals, 72 assists) in 65 games for Saginaw of the OHL.

The 18-year-old, who is No. 2 in Central Scouting's final ranking, is the seventh player since 2004-05 to win the award as a first-year NHL Draft-eligible player, joining Crosby (2004-05), Patrick Kane (2006-07), Nic Petan (2012-13), Dylan Strome (2014-15), Marco Rossi (2019-20) and Connor Bedard (2022-23).

"It was a big year for me. I knew that coming into it," Misa said. "I just tried to leave this year with no regrets. Overall, it was a fun year to be part of it in Saginaw. We did fall a bit short in the [OHL] playoffs but it was a great year overall."

Misa also was a finalist for the Scholastic Player of the Year Award, which was won by Vegas Golden Knights forward prospect Mathieu Cataford (Rimouski, QMJHL).

Other award winners included San Jose Sharks prospect Sam Dickinson (London, OHL), who was named Defenseman of the Year, beating out Seattle Kraken prospect Tyson Jugnauth (Portland, WHL) and 2026 draft prospect Xavier Villeneuve (Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL).

Jackson Parsons of Kitchener (OHL) was named Goaltender of the Year, beating out Max Hildebrand (Prince Albert, WHL) and Jacob Steinman (Halifax, QMJHL).

Everett (WHL) defenseman Landon DuPont, a top prospect for the 2027 NHL Draft, was named Rookie of the Year, beating out Calgary Flames forward prospect Matvei Gridin (Shawinigan, QMJHL) and Owen Sound (OHL) forward Pierce Mbuyi, a 2026 draft prospect.

Seattle Kraken forward prospect Berkly Catton (Spokane, WHL) was named Sportsman of the Year, ahead of Washington Capitals forward prospect Ilya Protas of Windsor (OHL) and forward Julius Sumpf of Moncton, a 2025 draft prospect.

Charlottetown (QMJHL) defenseman Maxwell Jardine was named Humanitarian of the Year, finishing ahead of Philadelphia Flyers forward prospect Denver Barkey of London and Portland (WHL) forward Kyle McDonough, a 2025 draft prospect.

Moncton coach Gardiner MacDougall won the Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award, finishing ahead of James Patrick (Victoria, WHL) and Jussi Ahokas (Kitchener, OHL).