At the 2026 National Hockey League Entry Draft, the projected number one pick at this time is Gavin McKenna of Whitehorse, Yukon. The fact that McKenna is projected to go number one is noteworthy because no player from the Canadian territories of the Yukon or Northwest Territories has ever gone first overall in the NHL Entry Draft. McKenna’s play this year will be under a microscope, and it was expected by many that he would be returning to the Medicine Hat Tigers, who were one win away this past season of winning the 2025 Memorial Cup.
I guess you can say now, not so fast. On Tuesday, McKenna made the decision to play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association rather than in the Canadian Hockey League. The team McKenna will be playing for is Penn State, a school known for its football history more than a hockey program. Not having McKenna in the Western Hockey League is a huge loss for the CHL.
School with momentum
The Nittany Lions reached the Frozen Four for the first time ever in 2025 and reached the semifinals. At the most prestigious college hockey tournament in the United States, the Nittany Lions had an overall record of 22 wins, 14 losses and four ties in 40 games played. Penn State then beat Maine 5-1 in the regional semifinals and Connecticut 3-2 in overtime in the regional finals before losing to Penn State 3-1 in the national semifinals in St. Louis on April 10.
McKenna’s junior hockey stats
This past season McKenna had 41 goals and 88 assists for 129 points in 56 games. In his last two seasons with the Tigers, he has 75 goals and 151 assists for 226 points. In 2024-25, McKenna led the Tigers in points, and had the second most points in the Western Hockey League. He was only behind Washington Capitals prospect Andrew Cristall of Burnaby, British Columbia, who had 48 goals and 84 assists for 132 points with the Kelowna Rockets and Spokane Chiefs.
Best player ever from the Yukon?
You could make the argument that McKenna may just be the greatest player ever from the Yukon once he decides to retire from professional hockey, which could be approximately two decades from now. There have only been three players ever from the National Hockey League to hail from the Yukon. They have been Dylan Cozens of the Ottawa Senators, Peter Sturgeon of the old Colorado Rockies, and defenseman Bryon Baltimore of the Edmonton Oilers. Cozens currently has 213 points in 362 games with the Buffalo Sabres and Senators.
