While the Toronto Maple Leafs missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in a decade, their consolation prize was winning the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery and the right to select phenom forward Gavin McKenna with the first overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The Maple Leafs, who are now led by general manager John Chayka, selected McKenna out of Penn State University with the first overall pick, and he’s expected to earn a roster spot in Training Camp later this fall and eventually become a major contributor to the club that has undergone massive changes in the months since Chayka’s arrival to replace Brad Treliving, who was terminated on March 30.
McKenna, who made the switch from his traditional jersey No. 72 to No. 92 thanks to the arrival of Stanley Cup winning veteran goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, hit the ice on Wednesday in his Maple Leafs uniform with another noticeable change.
Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Gavin McKenna Has Switched Equipment Brands
McKenna, who hit the ice today in full Maple Leafs gear and wearing his No. 92 jersey, was also noticeably wearing new equipment. Having worn CCM gear while in college, McKenna is now sponsored by Bauer Hockey.
McKenna joins a list of several prominent NHL players who exclusively wear Bauer gear, including Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins, Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield of the Montreal Canadiens, and Quinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild.
Gavin McKenna Has Trained With Sharks Forward Macklin Celebrini This Offseason
Among the players that McKenna has trained with so far during the offseason includes San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini, who will become the NHL’s highest-paid player thanks to his new contract that takes effect in 2027.
And like McKenna, Celebrini is a former No. 1 overall pick, taken in the 2024 NHL Draft by the Sharks.
“He’s a pretty intense guy when it comes to his off-ice and on-ice stuff,” McKenna said of Celebrini. “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.”
“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.”
As far as entering the high-pressure situation of playing in a media fishbowl like Toronto, McKenna believes he’s adequately prepared to face it head on.
“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.”
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