Buffalo, N.Y. – Medicine Hat Tigers alumnus Gavin McKenna – 2025 WHL Champion and WHL Player of the Year – was the first-overall selection of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.
McKenna, who helped the Medicine Hat Tigers win the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2025, became the first player developed by the Club to be selected first overall in the NHL Draft. He also goes into the history books as the 10th player developed in the WHL to be selected first overall in the NHL Draft.
McKenna represents the second WHL player chosen first overall by the Maple Leafs, following Wendel Clark of the Saskatoon Blades, who was the top choice in the 1985 NHL Draft.
McKenna’s time in the WHL was well decorated.
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound product of Whitehorse, Yukon, finished his time in the WHL by winning the WHL Championship along with the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as WHL Player of the Year and the CHL’s David Branch Player of the Year Award following a 129-point campaign in 2024-25.
Selected first overall by the Tigers in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft, McKenna played 133 WHL regular season games in Medicine Hat, tallying 244 points (79G-165A). He added another 45 points (12G-33A) in 25 WHL Playoff games. From 2022 through 2025, McKenna played a total of 158 games across the WHL regular season and playoffs, collecting 289 points (91G-198A).
During the 2023-24 season, he recorded 63 assists to lead all WHL rookies en route to winning the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy, which is presented annually to the WHL Rookie of the Year. McKenna was also awarded CHL Rookie of the Year honours for his impressive effort. That same season, he was named to the WHL’s Central Division First All-Star Team and also earned nods on the CHL Third All-Star Team and CHL All-Rookie Team.
Prior to McKenna, the highest selection in Medicine Hat Tigers franchise history was second overall – Trevor Linden to the Vancouver Canucks in 1988, Barry Dean to the Kansas City Scouts in 1975, and Tom Lysiak to the Atlanta Flames in 1973.
McKenna joins WHL legend and Hockey Hall of Famer Lanny McDonald as the second Medicine Hat Tiger to be selected by the Maple Leafs in the top five of the NHL Draft. McDonald went fourth overall to Toronto in the 1973 NHL Draft.
Finally, McKenna becomes the first Medicine Hat Tiger selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs since Dan Turner went 172nd overall in the ninth round of the 1984 NHL Draft.
On 11 occasions, the Maple Leafs have used a top 10 pick to select a player from the WHL:
- 2026, first overall – Gavin McKenna, Medicine Hat Tigers
- 2012, fifth overall – Morgan Rielly, Moose Jaw Warriors
- 2008, fifth overall – Luke Schenn, Kelowna Rockets
- 1985, first overall – Wendel Clark, Saskatoon Blades
- 1983, seventh overall – Russ Courtnall, Victoria Cougars
- 1982, third overall – Gary Nylund, Portland Winter Hawks
- 1981, sixth overall – Jim Benning, Portland Winter Hawks
- 1979, ninth overall – Laurie Boschman, Brandon Wheat Kings
- 1975, sixth overall – Don Ashby, Calgary Centennials
- 1973, fourth overall – Lanny McDonald, Medicine Hat Tigers
- 1969, ninth overall – Ernie Moser, Estevan Bruins
Internationally, McKenna has won a gold medal with Canada at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship and 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. On two occasions, he has competed at the IIHF World Junior Championship, helping Canada to a bronze medal in 2026.
Following his time in the WHL, McKenna played the 2025-26 season with Penn State University.
History of WHL Developed Players Selected First Overall in NHL Draft
- 2026 – Gavin McKenna, Toronto Maple Leafs (Medicine Hat Tigers)
- 2023 – Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks (Regina Pats)
- 2011 – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers (Red Deer Rebels)
- 1996 – Chris Phillips, Ottawa Senators (Prince Albert Raiders)
- 1988 – Mike Modano, Minnesota North Stars (Prince Albert Raiders)
- 1985 – Wendel Clark, Toronto Maple Leafs (Saskatoon Blades)
- 1982 – Gord Kluzak, Boston Bruins (Billings Bighorns)
- 1980 – Doug Wickenheiser, Montreal Canadiens (Regina Pats)
- 1975 – Mel Bridgman, Philadelphia Flyers (Victoria Cougars)
- 1974 – Greg Joly, Washington Capitals (Regina Pats)
About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 23 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.
