McKenna, likely No. 1 pick in 2026 NHL Draft, inspired by family’s Indigenous roots

The Upper Deck 2026 NHL Draft will be held June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The first round will take place on June 26 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) with rounds 2-7 on June 27 (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. Today, a profile of left wing Gavin McKenna from Penn State University in the Big Ten. Full draft coverage can be found here.

On the hardest nights at Penn State University, when the rink felt too loud and the criticism online felt even louder, Gavin McKenna would think about the Yukon.

He would think about the cabin in the mountains, the one his grandfather Joe Mason built. He would think about the wolf and the moose, symbols of family and heritage. Most of all, he thought about the stories Mason shared that gave the teenage star a different measure of hardship.

"He's a huge influence," McKenna said of his grandfather. "He's gone through so much in his life. For me, that's my motivation."

He needed it, too, playing college hockey nearly 3,500 miles away from home.

In the end, the freshman left wing finished tied for fifth in the NCAA with 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists), was second with 1.46 points per game in 35 games and was a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the best player in Division I men's hockey. 

He's No. 1 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters and is expected by many to be selected No. 1 by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2026 NHL Draft later this week. He would also be the first-ever men's ice hockey player from Penn State to be chosen in the first round of the NHL Draft. 

"I think I've just matured in many ways, on and off the ice," McKenna said. "I learned how to cook meals and do little things that you’ve got to do as an adult. On the ice, playing against older guys, stronger guys, I think you kind of figure out what you’ve got to do to produce. That's why I wanted to go to college, to mature and really learn a lot before I make that next jump. I think college did that for me."

This was the first season Canadian Hockey League players were eligible in the NCAA, and McKenna led the way as one of 175 making the jump in 2025-26. The 18-year-old, who spent parts of three seasons with Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League, faced constant scrutiny that came with his profile.

Still, he quickly proved his growth as the sixth-youngest player in men's college hockey, setting or tying nine school records and winning the Big Ten scoring title.

But talent doesn't make anyone immune to doubt. Even for a player compared to Patrick Kane, there were nights when the pressure felt heavy. That's when Mason's example mattered most.

One story never left him. Mason, a 72-year-old survivor of Canada's Indian residential school system, told of being left in the mountains as a boy and forced to survive on his own for three or four days.

"I just can't even imagine what that was like at such a young age," McKenna said.

Whenever college hockey became overwhelming, that memory reset everything. A bad game. A rough week. The sting of hearing he was "getting flamed on Twitter." None of it, McKenna realized, compared to what his grandfather had endured.

"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," McKenna said. 

That reminder carried McKenna through the season. His brilliance came from skill, speed and creativity, but his strength came from somewhere deeper -- from family, from heritage, from perspective.

So every point, every highlight, every time he rose above the noise, there was a piece of Joe Mason in it. Not because he taught Gavin how to produce on offense, but because he taught him how to persevere in life.

McKenna's story begins with family and a lifelong obsession with the game.

The Wizard of Whitehorse

The sacrifices started long before McKenna ever pulled on a Penn State sweater because for parents Krystal and Willy McKenna, the journey has always felt a little surreal. 

"We're beyond proud of him," Krystal said.

The hardest part hasn't been the rankings or the attention, it's been the distance. Gavin has missed Sunday dinners, family outings and the everyday moments that anchor home life in Whitehorse, the capital of northwest Canada's Yukon territory.

Those sacrifices extended well beyond Gavin. Willy laughs about it now, but he recalls family vacations that didn't involve beaches or sightseeing. 

"We were actually spending vacations at a hockey rink," he said.

That meant long days for the whole family, including younger sister Kasey, 15, and older sister Madison, 20, trading normal childhood diversions for cold bleachers and rink food. It was simply part of the deal, and everyone pulled in the same direction.

"He missed being out with his family," Madison said. "He didn't get a graduation, didn't get to witness friends' birthdays, family birthdays, milestones. He kind of didn't see his friends anymore. He's missed (regular) days with the family, camping trips ... Sunday dinners."

When Willy and Krystal were house hunting in Whitehorse, Dad had one nonnegotiable item. 

"I always knew we would build a rink for the kids," he said. 

A flat backyard wasn't a want -- it was a requirement. By the time Gavin was 2 years old, there was ice out back, and it rarely went unused. Willy spent 40-50 hours building the rink each winter, then laid down the rule that Gavin had to put in at least as many hours skating.

"It was a very hockey-filled household," McKenna said. "My dad was always pushing me. He was trying to get me to get hours on the outdoor rink and I was always playing hockey with my sister downstairs. It was a fun household to be in."

Krystal smiles when she reflects on how hockey-centric Gavin was. In childhood photos, there's always a stick, often a cut-down wooden Bauer, in his hands. If he didn't have gloves, he wore mitts. If there wasn't a helmet, a toque would do. 

McKenna even mimicked the little details, pretending to squirt an invisible water bottle after a shift, copying his uncles. Hockey followed him through the house, into his imagination, and onto the backyard ice. 

"I realized that hockey meant everything to him when he moved to Kelowna (in British Columbia) when he was so young," Madison said. "I didn't really accept it ... or it didn't process for me that he would never truly live at home again. One day he just left and he hasn't been back for more than two weeks at a time since he was 12 years old."

Family is everything to Gavin, and Mason's influence ran far deeper than the rink. A member of the Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin First Nation, Mason endured Canada's residential school system, which for more than a century tore Indigenous children away from their families. As McKenna has grown older, he's become more aware of the hardships his ancestors faced, including those of his grandfather.

"Our grandpa is our best friend," Madison said. "When we'd go up to our cabin at bedtime, we'd say 'Grandpa, tell us a story,' and he would tell us stories about his life growing up and he teaches us through those stories and by showing us.

"He always carries cash in his wallet and teaches us kindness and to give to people who have less. He might see some people on corners of streets, and he gives them cash or people outside of the superstore and they've come to recognize Grandpa as someone who always helps them out."

That legacy shapes who Gavin is today. Though he is a talented young hockey player with dreams inspired by NHL stars like Kane of the Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov, McKenna is equally proud of his identity and community. One of his most meaningful achievements isn't winning a sports trophy, but the 2022 Role Model of the Year award from his First Nation.

He supports younger Indigenous players, like when he surprised kids at a local hockey camp coached by Madison, showing them what's possible despite barriers Indigenous people historically have faced.

Retired, kind and endlessly patient, Mason spent countless hours skating with his grandson, then spoiling him with candy afterward.

"Whitehorse and the Yukon as a whole is small, some 42,000 people,” Krystal said, “and there was a lot of traveling and fundraising that had to be done for Gavin to kind of get to where he is just because we were so far away from where he had to go to play for tournaments. Gavin remembers and acknowledges that. He knows he likely would not be where he is today if it wasn't for the community, businesses in the community and all the support. I think that's a big part of why he wants to give back."

McKenna could join Ottawa Senators forward Dylan Cozens (selected No. 7 in the 2019 NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres) as the second player from the Yukon to be selected in the first round. 

There will be two watch parties in the territory for McKenna during the first round of the 2026 draft on Friday. The Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin, McKenna’s First Nation, is hosting one at its community center in Dawson City, a town along the Yukon River. 

Some attendees will be wearing temporary tattoos, with similar markings to the one McKenna has on his arm.

On one side of McKenna's right forearm is an intricate tattoo of a cabin in the mountains in the Yukon Territory near McKenna's home in Whitehorse. The other side features a moose and a wolf, honoring McKenna's Indigenous roots, which trace back through his grandfather.

"This is my cabin that my grandpa built," McKenna said, explaining the tattoo. "These are the coordinates and the mountains. My mom and sister got the same tattoo with the coordinates. And then I'm obviously Indigenous, so our clan animal is a wolf, and my grandpa, we all grew up hunting moose. I'm yet to shoot my first moose, so moose is obviously a big part in our family."

The second watch party will be hosted by Hockey Yukon and Special Olympics Yukon at Takhini Arena in Whitehorse. 

Youth sensation

McKenna left his family at age 12 to play at the RINK Hockey Academy in Kelowna, where he was coached by former NHL forward Byron Ritchie. He also played in spring hockey tournaments on teams coached by Billy Coupland, who also instructed current NHL stars Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, who each was a No. 1 pick in the League.

McKenna, a distant cousin to Bedard through marriage, was coached by Coupland with the Vancouver Vipers and Pacific Selects Team.

"Gavin just had the innate ability to create offense," Coupland said. "He was slippery, he was smooth, and he just made plays. One of the things about Gavin was he made the players around him better because he kind of always made the right play. He sees things like the typical person would see from the press box ... where you can see a guy coming in late and he's open. He has this inherent ability and exceptional feel for the game to understand how to attack space."

Coupland never questioned McKenna's maturity. Gavin grew up fast, flying alone from Whitehorse to Vancouver at an age when most kids aren't allowed to walk to the store by themselves. Through it all, McKenna never arrived with an ego. 

He fit in, treated people well and kept things light. 

"If he wasn't a hockey player, he'd be in a boy band," Coupland said laughing, referencing the great hair, the million-dollar smile and all-Canadian charm that teammates never let him forget.

Coupland's perspective on McKenna is also shaped by experience at the highest levels. During his time as an amateur scout with the Lightning, he watched current Maple Leafs center John Tavares' draft year up close when scouts examined every inch of the 2009 No. 1 pick’s game for four straight seasons in the Ontario Hockey League. That familiarity breeds nitpicking, and Coupland saw the same thing happening with McKenna this season. 

"The numbers he put up in the second half at Penn State were pretty impressive," Coupland said. "He wanted to challenge himself and that's exactly what you should want a player to do."

McKenna had 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) through his first 16 games at Penn State and 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in his final 18.

In the end, Coupland thinks people underestimate McKenna in two big ways: how dominant he truly was in junior hockey, and how difficult his NCAA adjustment was. 

Additionally, McKenna’s ability to create offense despite the constant change of linemates while at Penn State due to injuries, some of them to bottom-six players, was quite remarkable to Coupland.

"He's going to be a (heck) of a player," Coupland said. "A 100-point guy in the NHL."

Just as important to Coupland is the fact that McKenna is shaped by humble parents and an unshakeable foundation.

"Gavin has a good sense of humor and was somebody that teammates always joked with, and they chirped him a bit about how pretty he was and (how he) was too good-looking to be a hockey player," Coupland said. "But he was just a really humble kid and he's that way because Willy and Krystal are just really humble people as well."

A dose of Medicine 

McKenna was selected by the Medicine Hat Tigers with the No. 1 pick in the 2022 WHL Draft and scored 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 16 games in 2022-23 as a 15-year-old. 

He ranked second among WHL rookies with 97 points (34 goals, 63 assists) in 61 games in 2023-24, when he was named rookie of the year in the WHL and the CHL.

"He just can't accept being average," Medicine Hat coach Willie Desjardins said. "I'm sure he looked at his first half at Penn State and said, 'That's not good enough.'”

In his final WHL season in 2024-25, McKenna was second in the league with 129 points (41 goals, 88 assists), tied for fifth in goals and tied for third in short-handed goals (four) in 56 regular-season games. He led the WHL with a plus-60 rating and was named the league's player of the year. At 17, he was the third-youngest winner of the CHL player of the year award, behind Tavares (2006-07) and current Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (2003-04), each of whom was 16 when he won.

McKenna was third in the WHL playoffs with 38 points (nine goals, 29 assists) in 16 games, helping Medicine Hat win the league championship and advance to the 2025 Memorial Cup, where he had six points (three goals, three assists) in four games and was named to the tournament all-star team.

"What would I want fans to understand about Gavin McKenna that isn't discussed enough?" Desjardins said. "Probably how bad he wants to win. How driven he is to win. The other thing fans don't know is how much he cheers for his teammates. He loves it when his teammates score; he gets super excited."

McKenna ended the regular season in 2024-25 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.

Coupland watched McKenna a lot in the WHL, often against his own son, Ty Coupland, who played for Swift Current and Red Deer at the time. 

"(McKenna) could have returned to Medicine Hat and had 160 points if he stayed in the Western Hockey League this season and nobody would have said a word and instead would have thought about this generational talent," Coupland said. "But he challenged himself and joined a program that, let's face it, is still on the rise. 

"The other thing is the NCAA has never been better than it is now because now you have all these CHL players coming in."

McKenna had 244 points (79 goals, 165 assists) in 133 WHL regular-season games over three seasons. Bedard, the No. 1 pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Draft, had 271 points (134 goals, 137 assists) in 134 WHL games over three seasons. 

"I like the fact he went out and challenged himself this year by playing in college," said John Williams, Central Scouting's senior western scout. "We all know he's not big and strong yet, so college hockey was not going to be easy for him. He's so smart and skilled that he was able to produce exceptionally well while being physically overmatched in situations."

It's easy to understand why, after he dominated junior hockey, the expectations were high for McKenna from the outset when he arrived at Penn State.

Penn State producer

McKenna's slow start to his college career didn't sit well with many NHL Draft pundits. 

But this was expected.

"The things I've watched Gavin do this year at Penn State were no different than what I've seen him do since he was 14," said Craig Button, TSN director of scouting and a former NHL general manager. "There was an adjustment period at Penn State.

"Keep in mind, training off the ice was something he never had to do in-season in terms of the heavy lifting. You can't do that in junior hockey. College is a grind and these are all the things he's learning how to do as he prepares for the NHL."

There was also another huge talking point that McKenna couldn't possibly see coming when he announced his decision to join the Nittany Lions on July 10, 2025 -- that stability would be a luxury due to injuries up and down the lineup.

He made no excuses despite having to skate with close to a dozen linemates because of the ailments that gutted the roster.

It's a difficult ask for any wing, particularly one in his first season at the collegiate level, where timing, chemistry and trust take months to develop. Instead of letting the revolving door disrupt his rhythm, McKenna adapted.

"It's not an easy thing to do," Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky said. "You spend all your time building chemistry, learning tendencies, knowing where guys want the puck. When that keeps changing, you have to simplify your game and just compete."

He skated with 11 teammates, including a defenseman-turned-forward, and still won the Big Ten scoring crown with 38 points (11 goals, 27 assists) in 24 conference games.

"It was tough to get in the flow, especially in college when you only played two games a week," McKenna said. "I didn't really have time to fully jell on the ice with them. Obviously, we were super tight off the ice, but it is tough. I was getting sometimes new lines every period. But once we got into that flow (after Christmas), I think it was nice."

He grew stronger on and off the ice to become one of college hockey's most dynamic players.

"Penn State has never seen a prospect like Gavin before," Nittany Lions captain Dane Dowiak said. "Throughout my career, I played with a lot of great players now in the NHL and they're going to have long careers. But I've never experienced the kind of attention that comes along with being such a great player like ‘Gav.’ We learned a lot from him. It wasn't kind of us navigating; we were learning every day how he dealt with things and kind of just falling in his footsteps.

"It's really cool seeing a young kid that mature, being able to handle everything the way he did. It just made it that much easier for everybody else."

McKenna had two assists in his first collegiate game, a 6-3 win at Arizona State on Oct. 3, and scored the decisive goal on the power play in a 4-2 win against the Sun Devils the next day.

"This was a real education for our program in terms of someone as high profile as him that is going to go No. 1," Gadowsky said. "Before he even played, it was amazing to see how many people wanted to criticize him, but what amazed me was how he handled it all so well. He entered our program as a 17-year-old who ended up leading the Big Ten in scoring, which is just insane. And he did it while leading his team in takeaways (84)."

McKenna’s role required that kind of versatility. He had eight points (one goal, seven assists), the most in a men's college game in 40 years, in an 11-4 win against Ohio State on Feb. 20. He also had a goal and two assists in a 5-4 overtime loss at home to Michigan State before 74,575 fans at Beaver Stadium on Jan. 31.

Gadowsky credits McKenna’s willingness to adapt within a depleted lineup and during the most turbulent stretches of the schedule.

“We moved him around, but he played the majority of the time with center Reese Laubach and right wing Aiden Fink, when (McKenna) came back (from the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship),” Gadowsky said.

McKenna skated with a variety of forwards this season: Dowiak, Fink, Laubach, Luke Misa, Shea Van Olm, Ben Schoen, Charlie Cerrato, JJ Wiebusch, Nic Chin-DeGraves and Lev Katzin. He also logged regular shifts with Casey Aman, who transitioned from defenseman to forward when Gadowsky was short three players up front.

"College hockey is short, so you don't have a lot of time to gain chemistry with a lot of guys," Dowiak said. "Gavin's a player who's going to make everybody better. He's going to make the plays nobody sees. He did an unbelievable job of being able to adapt (to new linemates). Cerrato went down for a big part of the year as did Fink; those are two very talented guys who are kind of our drivers. 

"But Gavin stepped up and did in a big way and was one of the reasons we had so much success throughout the year and maintained that top 10 spot in the national poll during the season."

McKenna had 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) and 59 shots on goal in those first 16 games prior to joining Team Canada at the World Juniors. 

The event gave him the adrenaline shot he was looking for.

The stretch run

McKenna delivered a standout performance in seven games at the World Juniors, when he finished with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists), tying for the seventh-most ever by a draft-eligible player and the fourth-most by a draft-eligible Canadian. 

"I thought after World Juniors, I just got my confidence back and kind of adjusted to the NCAA a little bit," McKenna said. 

Despite significant expectations, he consistently rose to the challenge.

"He's handled pressure incredibly well," said Philadelphia Flyers forward and Team Canada captain Porter Martone. "He faces a lot of scrutiny, but he stayed focused on what he can control. That's not easy, especially in your draft year. I fully expect him to achieve even bigger things moving forward."

As the third-youngest player on Canada, McKenna played a pivotal role in securing a bronze medal. He earned player of the game honors twice and had four points (one goal, three assists) in a 6-3 victory against Finland in the bronze-medal game, reinforcing his impact when it mattered most.

"Whenever you're smart and you have talent, then you'll find a way," Desjardins said. "However the way will be, I don't know, but you'll find a way."

The Maple Leafs have the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft after winning the NHL Draft Lottery on May 5. The San Jose Sharks hold the No. 2 selection, and the Vancouver Canucks have the No. 3 choice.

With McKenna as a projected top selection, every shift, every result, and every comparison will continue to be scrutinized. But he has already shown an ability to thrive under those expectations, using them as motivation rather than distraction.

At the same time, the opportunity ahead carries just as much excitement as it does pressure. 

"Pressure is a privilege," he often says.

Whether it's under the bright lights of Toronto or with the promising rebuild in San Jose, McKenna is on the verge of learning where his NHL journey will begin. For a player who has consistently embraced the moment, draft day represents not just a test, but a reward.

Is he ready?

"I went to college to make that jump (to the NHL) a little bit smoother,” McKenna said. “Being around older guys, playing against older guys, faster guys. That's what I wanted, and I think it has prepared me for that. Being around smart hockey players and players who are give-and-go types, that's where I'll thrive so, hopefully, I can make that jump. I'm confident in it."

Given the powerful influence of his grandfather’s perseverance and character, though, it’s no surprise that McKenna is motivated to make an impact that extends beyond the game of hockey.

"I want to be a great hockey player, but I want to be an even better person," McKenna said. "When I get those opportunities to talk in front of those kids and leave a big impact on them, I think that's what I want to be known for.”