The Toronto Maple Leafs inked Gavin McKenna -- the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL draft -- to a three-year, entry-level contract Friday.
The signing comes one week after Toronto took him first during the draft in Buffalo, New York, where singer (and noted Toronto fan) Justin Bieber did the honors of announcing McKenna as the Maple Leafs' selection.
McKenna has already transitioned onto the ice for Toronto at this week's development camp, and with a deal in place, he can look toward a crucial training camp in the fall where McKenna will have a chance to take on a significant role in Toronto's offense.
The winger has already proved to be a good teammate. McKenna initially grabbed his usual jersey No. 72 -- vacant when development camp began -- but ceded that sweater to goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (who has worn the number throughout his NHL career) when Toronto signed the veteran free agent to a three-year, $21 million contract Wednesday. The other numbers McKenna would usually wear -- No. 9 or 27 -- are retired by Toronto.
Regardless of what's on the back of his sweater, the Maple Leafs are banking on McKenna to be a game changer up front. The 18-year-old was widely projected as the draft's top prospect after a sensational junior hockey career and single-season collegiate showing. McKenna had a standout rookie season at Penn State, recording 15 goals and 51 points in 35 games while setting program records for a freshman in assists (36) and points. He was the Big Ten scoring champion (with 38 points against other teams) and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Prior to joining the NCAA -- as one of the first skaters to take advantage of the rule change allowing Canadian Junior Hockey skaters to retain college eligibility -- McKenna had collected 79 goals and 244 points in 133 games with the Western Hockey League's Medicine Hat Tigers. In 2024-25, his nine goals and 38 points in 16 playoff games guided Medicine Hat to a WHL championship; McKenna led the CHL that season with 129 points in 56 games to earn the league's Player of the Year honors.