Toronto Maple Leafs sign first overall pick Gavin McKenna to entry-level contract

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed 18‑year‑old forward Gavin McKenna to a three‑year entry‑level contract after he was selected first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. McKenna arrived from Penn State where he recorded 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points in 35 games, and previously posted 244 points in 133 junior games with the Medicine Hat Tigers. He was named CHL Player of the Year after leading the Canadian Hockey League with 129 points, won gold with Canada at the 2024 under‑18 world championship and the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and contributed 14 points at the 2026 World Junior Championship where Canada earned bronze.

A secondary storyline concerns a jersey‑number clash: both McKenna and veteran goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky have historically worn number 72. With both now on the Leafs roster, one player will need to change numbers, and McKenna has indicated he may defer to Bobrovsky given the veteran’s NHL pedigree.