As expected, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Penn State Nittany Lions forward Gavin McKenna with the first overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, which officially began on Friday evening from Buffalo.
Canadian pop star and Maple Leafs fan Justin Bieber announced the selection, which ultimately didn’t come as a surprise to most, as McKenna had been pegged as the consensus first overall selection for the last several months.
It’s officially a new era for the Maple Leafs, who not only have a new general manager and a new head coach, but they now have a talented young prospect who has the potential to begin play immediately and start making an impact for the club who missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in a decade this past season.
Fans Of The Toronto Maple Leafs Welcome Gavin McKenna After Being Selected First Overall
Right away, excited Maple Leafs fans began chiming in on social media after the historic first overall selection, which was also their first time with the No. 1 selection since 2016 when they took future captain Auston Matthews.
This fan said, “The Center of the Hockey Universe has a new gravity. Gavin McKenna is officially a Toronto Maple Leaf. The media circus is set up, the Yorkville real estate agents are dialed in, and the 2027 Stanley Cup parade route is already being mapped out on Reddit. Welcome to the blender, kid! 🍁”
This excited fan exclaimed, “AHHHHHHHHH LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOO IM SO HAPPY”
“Every Leafs fan who sat through last season just got paid back in full. Welcome to Toronto, kid. 🍁 8.5% lottery odds,” wrote another fan.
Preaching patience, this fan said, “Our fans need to be patient and let Gavin grow into the player we know he can be,we don’t want to screw this up by rushing him,it took a miracle for something to go right 4 us when we won the #NHLDraft Lottery so give him time so he can be the best player possible #LeafsForever”
“🔥🔥🔥 Gavin McKenna gets one of the biggest music stars to announce him. Pretty amazing. It was a tough crowd in buffalo, I think JB did a good job. Neat experience for him as a fan!!” wrote another fan after watching Bieber make the selection.
And finally, this fan wrote, “I just saw… we’ll see…. I’m getting older, I want to be able to do backflips when leafs win, so fu****g get to it :))”
Gavin McKenna Is A Member Of The Maple Leafs
McKenna, who was the consensus first overall pick heading into the Draft, has the chance to make the Maple Leafs roster in what will be his first NHL Training Camp this fall, and to potentially start making an impact right away.
According to a scouting report via ESPN, Maple Leafs fans likely won’t have to wait long to see McKenna star at the NHL level.
“McKenna is going to be an immediately impactful player, something the Leafs desperately need. He will be a significant help to their power play with his playmaking ability. With a new coach in Jim Hiller, who was offensively minded in Toronto as an assistant coach, McKenna will be given the opportunity to flourish alongside Auston Matthews and help the Leafs’ captain regain a 50-plus-goal pace.”
“Electric”: Maple Leafs Fans Sound Off After Gavin McKenna Pick