On Friday evening, the Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Penn State men's hockey forward Gavin McKenna No. 1 overall in the 2026 NHL Draft.
While McKenna isn't from Toronto, he's familiar with the area and already got accustomed to his new fan base.
"Last night was a crazy night, I was so excited the whole night . . . Toronto's a city, it's an amazing place. They love their sports, they love their hockey team," McKenna told reporters Saturday morning following his draft experience.
"They've got so many passionate fans, so I'm excited and even though I've been in the city before I was drafted, people were coming up to me asking for photos and they all seem like great people. So, I'm excited to meet all these people and get comfortable in the city."
Gavin McKenna says his experience in Toronto has been great even before getting drafted, saying the fans are great, passionate people, and he can’t wait to meet them.
— Leafslatest (@Leafslatest) June 27, 2026
“Toronto is an amazing place, so many passionate fans… I’m excited to meet all these people and feel…
Now, McKenna is getting the full Toronto experience. Per his media availability, the new NHL forward is expected to be at the Toronto Blue Jays game. They're facing the Texas Rangers at home and McKenna is rumored to throw the first pitch of the game, celebrating his draft night and welcoming him to Toronto's sports culture and fans. The Blue Jays currently have a 39-43 record and are third in the American League East.
This will be McKenna's first Blue Jays game he's attended, according to reporters.
Gavin McKenna says he’s going to the Jays game today, as part of the plan of things to do today in Toronto.
— David Alter (@davidalter) June 27, 2026
He’s never been to a Jays game before.
It will be a hectic first weekend for the young forward. Between media, touring the facilities, meeting the staff and personnel over at the Maple Leafs, and getting used to the city, McKenna has a lot on his schedule.
Nonetheless, this new era for McKenna is exhilarating. He spent one season in the NCAA and is already off to the NHL projected to be a first-liner for Toronto off the bat.
A future franchise player is on the Maple Leafs' roster, and that pressure is something McKenna can handle. In 2025-26, he had a slow start adjusting to the collegiate level of hockey. After World Juniors, a switch flipped and he surged forward as the Big Ten's best freshman on the ice as well as earning a spot as one of the 2026 Hobey Baker Award Top-10 Finalists.
Maple Leafs fans are undoubtedly excited for McKenna's arrival. Since before he committed to Penn State, he was projected to be No. 1 overall and that barely changed throughout the year. When Toronto won the draft lottery for the first pick, it was practically a 100 percent chance it was adding McKenna to its roster.
As he makes his rounds around the city, he'll feel right at home once the 2026-27 season kicks off.
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