McKenna has ‘learned a lot’ practicing with Celebrini this offseason

CHICAGO -- Gavin McKenna wants to be among the best players in the NHL. So, he’s been surrounding himself with some of the game’s best players this offseason, including forward Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks.

“He’s a pretty intense guy when it comes to his off-ice and on-ice stuff,” McKenna said of Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. “To be in that environment and get into a routine, it felt good. I had a lot of fun, and I felt like I got better.”

McKenna, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, discussed his time with Celebrini and his offseason preparations at the NHLPA Rookie Showcase at Blackhawks Ice Center on Wednesday.

The showcase brings together a collection of players looking to make the jump to the NHL in the next season or two and provides some tools for that transition.

McKenna said he and Celebrini have been practicing together in Vancouver, British Columbia. It has been quite the education.

“My trainers probably won’t like to hear this, but there was a week where we were on the ice for like 17 hours,” McKenna said. “So, yeah, max crazy but every skate out there, you’re getting better and it’s a competitive group. So, I’ve had a lot of fun with it.”

The 18-year-old soaked up everything Celebrini did, and why wouldn’t he? The Sharks forward, two years his senior, had 115 points (45 goals, 70 assists) in 82 games last season, fourth in the NHL behind Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers (138 points), Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning (130) and Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche (127).

Celebrini, a finalist for the 2025 Calder Trophy awarded to the NHL rookie of the year (won by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson), signed a five-year, $94 million contract (League-high $18.8 million average annual value) with the Sharks on Wednesday.

McKenna is trying to follow a similar path to the one Celebrini traveled. Three seasons ago, Celebrini was a highly touted prospect, looking to be picked No. 1 after a season of college hockey at Boston University. Today, he is the centerpiece of a San Jose team on the ascendency.

McKenna left the Western Hockey League two seasons ago and joined the NCAA, playing for Penn State. He was the sixth-youngest player in men's college hockey last season and finished tied for fifth in the NCAA with 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) and was second with 1.46 points per game in 35 games.

He was also a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, presented annually to the top men's player in NCAA Hockey.

Toronto won the NHL Draft Lottery on May 5 and ended up with McKenna, who is being counted on to lead the Maple Leafs revival. He joins a Toronto team that missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 10 seasons.

McKenna says he understands the pressure that awaits and he is prepared for it.

“I think obviously everyone talks about the Toronto market, but at the end of the day, I’m just out there playing hockey,” he said. “To have that opportunity to get drafted to a market like that is pretty special. But for me, I just try not to think about it, try to block out all the noise and play the game I love playing.”

That is what he is doing in Vancouver, where the on-ice work is intense, but the off-ice banter with Celebrini has been much more relaxed. He hasn’t tried to pick Celebrini’s brain about life in the NHL.

“I think we just tried to be normal people with each other,” McKenna said. “Sometimes when you’re grinding and stuff, you kind of want to step away from the game and just be normal people and just talk. He was awesome to be around, and I think I learned a lot from how hard he works to where I kind of got to get. I think it’s all been good for me.”

McKenna has also talked with Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Bedard, who has 203 points (75 goals, 128 assists) in 219 games with the Blackhawks, sustained a left shoulder injury while practicing in Vancouver on July 2 and had surgery a few days after. He’s expected to be out until November.

“We grabbed a dinner,” McKenna said. “It (stinks) to see him (injured). I was looking forward to skating with him out there. He’s an awesome guy and only got to see him briefly, but I had a good time with him and had some good conversations.”

The whirlwind has died down for McKenna after the NHL Draft Combine and NHL Draft in Buffalo and Maple Leafs development camp in Toronto -- “I’ve been living out of my suitcase the last three months,” he said. He’s more settled in Vancouver now but also enjoying the Rookie Showcase this week in Chicago.

“You get to meet these guys and kind of feel comfortable. These are the guys you’re going to be battling against for most likely the rest of your career. To get close with them and get an idea of the people they are, it feels nice,” he said. “Obviously, they’re all unbelievable talents. Everyone’s got their own unique path, so cool hearing all the stories.”