McKenna to meet with at least 8 teams at NHL Scouting Combine

The 2026 NHL Scouting Combine presented by Fanatics is taking place this week at KeyBank Center and LECOM HarborCenter in Buffalo. The combine will allow NHL teams an opportunity to conduct interviews and provide physical and medical assessments of the top prospects eligible for the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft. NHL.com will bring you all the sights and stories.

BUFFALO -- Gavin McKenna, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, has interviews scheduled with eight teams at the NHL Scouting Combine this week.

The Penn State University forward said he plans to participate in all testing and is looking forward to the experience.

"I think when you get to put a face to some names and kind of lift yourself up in a humble way, I think it's always a good opportunity,” McKenna said.

The 18-year-old has been preparing for the combine by working out the past several weeks in Kelowna, British Columbia.

"I've been training five times a week, skating two or three times a week, and doing some boxing, which I think is really, really fun and good to do," he said.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have the No. 1 pick in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft after winning the Draft Lottery on May 5.

"The best advice I was given prior to coming here was just be confident," McKenna said. "You want to sell yourself in a humble way, like I said, and you're only here once. It's a once- in-a-lifetime opportunity, so make the most out of it and I think just have fun with it."

McKenna (5-foot-11, 170 pounds), No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters eligible for the draft, tied for fifth in NCAA men's hockey with 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) in 35 games as a freshman at Penn State.

"I think I learned a lot (at Penn State)," McKenna said. "I went to college to challenge myself and definitely had that. There were some ups and downs, but my family and my teammates had my back. I learned a lot and as the year went on and just got better and better and more comfortable.

"I thought it was a good year, and it's going to help me a lot in the future."

'Rolling' with the changes

The combine represents a big opportunity for Jaxon Cover, the roller-hockey-star-turned-ice-hockey-standout for London of the Ontario Hockey League, to elevate his draft stock.

With NHL scouts and general managers closely evaluating prospects through fitness testing, interviews, and overall athleticism, the left-shot forward, who has 28 interviews scheduled this week, has a chance to showcase his physical conditioning, explosiveness, and also his maturity.

"I just want to show them there's more to me than my story alone and that I do put a lot of hard work into my craft and how far I've come," Cover told NHL.com on Monday. "I'm really proud of myself and just want to leave the combine with no regrets."

Cover's path to becoming a rising NHL prospect is anything but traditional.

Raised in the Cayman Islands, where ice hockey infrastructure is virtually nonexistent, Cover honed his skills in inline roller hockey, developing the agility and creativity that now define his game. Born in Miami but moved to the Caymans as an infant, he excelled early, earning MVP honors and fastest skater recognition at the 2016 North American Roller Hockey Championship.

"The interviews have been a little nerve-racking, but I’ve just got to ease into it," he said. "I'm trying to be myself and just hopefully they like that. A popular question has been to tell my story, and I love telling the story."

Cover (6-1, 183), No. 29 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, moved to Canada at age 12 and transitioned to ice hockey, quickly adapting despite initially needing to learn key rules like offsides and icing. While attending St. Andrew's College, he refined his hockey IQ and playmaking ability and had 40 points in 55 games in 2024-25 before earning a call-up with London, where he had two assists in three games.

The 18-year-old finished his first full OHL season with 52 points (20 goals, 32 assists) in 67 regular-season games and will return to London next season.

Testing the limits

There are two new tests for the prospects to experience this week.

The isokinetic squat test will include 1080motion devices and will take place prior to the VO2 max test on Friday. The 10-meter sprint test will be held in conjunction with the pro agility station Saturday.

"The NHL club strength coaches added two new tests that will be utilizing the latest technological equipment to obtain additional testing data relevant to hockey players lower-body strength and power," NHL Central Scouting vice president and director Dan Marr said. "All the testing metrics allow the strength coaches to make informed projections on the potential physical development of the prospects."

Prospects will have the opportunity to practice the squat test in the gym during the week leading up to the actual test, ensuring they understand how it will be performed Friday.

NTDP well-represented

There are six players from USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team attending the combine, including three forwards, two defensemen and one goalie.

Wyatt Cullen, a left wing, and Casey Mutryn, a right wing, are the only two in the group ranked among the top 32 skaters on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters.

Cullen (6-1, 176), No. 13 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, had 45 points (16 goals, 29 assists) and five power-play goals in 40 games. The son of three-time Stanley Cup champion Matt Cullen, who will attend the University of Minnesota next season, overcame an injury earlier this season to lead the NTDP with 1.12 points per game.

"The NTDP has meant everything to me," said Cullen, who has 27 interviews scheduled this week. "When I went in there, I was 5-foot-5 my first year. I didn't know what to expect, but the training was the biggest thing. The weight room, they do such a good job and they helped me get faster, stronger. You go to practice with the best guys in the country every day, and I think that helped me so much. There were no days off.

"You’ve just got to grind through it, and it's obviously a grind in the (United States Hockey League). You stay in the gym six weeks after the season and just train and skate super hard. That was so huge for me in my development."

Mutryn (6-3, 200), who will attend Boston College next season, had 46 points (18 goals, 28 assists) in 62 games and led the program with 10 power-play goals.

Also attending is goaltender Brady Knowling (6-5, 202), who is No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American goalies and will attend Boston University next season.