Skip to content
HighOnCity Toronto
NEWS

Maple Leafs sign No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna to three-year entry-level deal

The 18-year-old forward from Whitehorse had 51 points in 35 games with Penn State and was CHL Player of the Year last season.

· 2 min read · HOC Toronto Desk
Maple Leafs sign No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna to three-year entry-level deal
★ FREE NEWSLETTER
Get the best of Greater Toronto in your inbox

The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Gavin McKenna to a three-year entry-level contract following his selection first overall at last week's NHL draft in Buffalo.

The 18-year-old Whitehorse native had 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points in 35 games with Penn State last season. Before joining the Nittany Lions, he recorded 244 points in 133 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League.

McKenna was named CHL Player of the Year after leading the Canadian Hockey League with 129 points in 56 games in 2024-25. He won gold with Canada at the 2024 under-18 world championship and 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and had 14 points in seven games at the 2026 world junior championship, where Canada claimed bronze.