New film tracks McKenna's journey to become projected No. 1 pick in NHL Draft

Gavin McKenna, the projected No. 1 pick of the 2026 NHL Draft, arrived at Penn State University as the most heralded freshman in NCAA men's hockey history.

And fans will be able to follow the ups and downs of his season on "The McKenna Project," a documentary that will air on TNT following Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final between the Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes (8 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS, CBC) on Thursday.

The film tracks McKenna across the continent, from his home and backyard rink in Whitehorse, Yukon, all the way to Pegula Ice Arena in State College, Pennsylvania, with several important stops in between.

McKenna was one of the top players in college hockey this season, finishing tied for fifth with 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) in 35 games. He was named Big Ten Rookie of the Year and was a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the outstanding men's college hockey player.

But beyond the games was the glare of the spotlight McKenna lived in.

"I just try to block out that noise and play the game you've played your whole life," he says in the film.

The noise became deafening at times early in the season, when McKenna struggled to live up to outside expectations.

"Throughout the year, I guess what impressed me most is just his ability to handle an unbelievable amount of pressure, and sometimes unrealistic expectations," said "The McKenna Project" director Matthew Chase. "The goalposts are always moving on him, and they don't move like that for other prospects.

"If that were me, I would be in bed with the covers pulled over my head; I wouldn't be able to handle it. And he just has this kind of innate maturity that enables him to handle it, which is so impressive for a young person."

Big moments in McKenna's season are shown, from his "forks down" gesture during the season-opening weekend at Arizona State, to some inconsistent play that marked the first half of his season, to things getting back on track after helping Canada win the bronze medal at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.

But there also was a trip home to Whitehorse that allowed McKenna to spend time with his family, especially his grandfather, Joe Mason. It's Mason's background as a survivor of First Nations residential schools that gives McKenna perspective.

The Canadian Indian residential school system started in the 19th century and separated First Nations children from their homes for decades 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. 

"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."

Chase said his biggest takeaway from his year with McKenna was how prepared he is for the next step in his hockey journey. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the NHL Draft Lottery on May 5 and hold the No. 1 pick in 2026 draft, which could potentially put McKenna in an even brighter spotlight than he already is.

But as the film shows how McKenna was able to handle the criticism this season, Chase said he's confident McKenna will handle whatever comes next.

"I think (World Juniors) was the point of the year where he understood which volume dial to turn up and which ones to turn down," Chase said. "I think it takes young people time to do that. I think it takes, not just young people, it takes athletes years to do that. And I think Gavin, because of who he is and because of who he's been for the last five years and the attention on him, he's learned that skill way before other athletes do. And I think that's really huge, especially talking about going to the NHL to some of the markets that are in a position to land him at the top of the draft."