BUFFALO, N.Y. — Gavin McKenna has been living with NHL Draft attention for years.
He has signed autographs since he was 14, played under a spotlight in Medicine Hat, became one of the most-watched prospects in hockey and then made the unusual jump to Penn State before reaching draft weekend.
Now that the moment is finally here, McKenna is trying to slow it down.
“I’m just really trying to take it all in,” McKenna said during his pre-draft media availability. “You only get to go through this once in your life. Going through it with my family, experiencing all this stuff, all the media and getting to go through it with all your buddies and it’s been a fun time.”
McKenna enters the draft as one of the central figures of the weekend and a strong candidate to be selected first overall.
With speculation swirling around Toronto and several trades already shaking up the league, McKenna said he has enjoyed watching the chaos unfold like everyone else.
“It’s exciting,” McKenna said. “There’s been a lot of big moves and just watching it as a fan right now, it’s been fun to watch.”
Asked whether he has come to terms with the possibility of being picked first and going to Toronto, McKenna kept his answer measured.
“I’ve just been super excited,” he said. “Obviously, I’ve thought about it, but at the end of the day, wherever I get picked, I’m excited. It’s the NHL Draft. I get to experience it with my family and go through it with them. The fact it’s here, I know me and my family are pumped.”
That family support has been a constant theme throughout McKenna’s rise. He said his parents, two sisters, grandparents, former billet family from Medicine Hat and agents are all part of his draft-week experience.
But McKenna’s support system extends well beyond the people in Buffalo. Back home in the Yukon, watch parties are planned as his hometown community prepares to celebrate one of its own reaching hockey’s biggest stage.
“The Yukon, I love the Yukon. That’ll always be my home,” McKenna said. “The support I’ve gotten from that community is pretty special. For them to be putting together that draft party means the world to me. I always carry that Yukon pride with me.”
McKenna said growing up in the Yukon shaped his path in ways many fans may not fully understand. Finding high-level competition required constant travel and sacrifice.
“Growing up, I had to travel pretty much every weekend to find some competition,” McKenna said. “It wasn’t cheap flying every weekend. The community helped support me. I had some sponsors throughout the community, and I get texts all the time from people saying how proud they are.
“I just want to represent the Yukon well.”
McKenna’s path has already covered plenty of ground. From the Yukon to Medicine Hat to Penn State, he has experienced major transitions before reaching the NHL. He said the journey has moved quickly.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“It has flown by,” McKenna said. “There’s been a lot of ups and downs, but through it all, it’s been some of the best years of my life. Getting to go to Medicine Hat and then Penn State, I’ve been on a lot of journeys. The fact that the draft is here, it’s flown by.”
Penn State became an important final step before the NHL. Because of his late birthday and the timing of his draft eligibility, McKenna had the opportunity to play college hockey before turning pro. He believes that year helped prepare him for the next level.
“I was lucky with my birthday and getting the opportunity, especially with that rule change, to kind of take that next jump before the NHL,” McKenna said. “You watch guys like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith and how they did in college and then stepped right into the league and kind of just being comfortable. I think college kind of does that.
“I was very lucky to have that. This year, I think I’ve learned a lot just with the college style of play, and I think it will help me making that jump.”
McKenna also said the past year tested him personally. With expectations, pressure and outside noise building around his draft season, he leaned on his family, teammates, agents and support system.
“It’s grown a lot,” McKenna said of his character. “This year especially, there were a lot of ups and downs. For me, just trying to battle through that stuff and block out all the noise and stay humble and stay positive through it all. I learned a lot this year.”
On the ice, McKenna’s skill has never been difficult to identify. But when asked what the most underrated thing about him is, McKenna did not point to his hands, vision or scoring touch.
He pointed to his work ethic.
“I like to drag my teammates into the fire,” McKenna said. “Whether it’s on or off the ice, I really like to push myself hard. It’s something that I’ve learned throughout the years that has helped me. The off-ice stuff especially. It’s something I like to do myself, and whether I get to pull my teammates into it, I like to push them as well.”
That competitive edge showed again when McKenna was asked about the possibility of being drafted by Toronto in Buffalo and becoming a villain for Sabres fans.
“If I’m not drafted here, I want to be a villain wherever I go,” McKenna said. “If that’s how it goes, then that’s how it goes.”
For all the pressure around the No. 1 pick, the Toronto speculation and the weight of being a franchise-changing talent, McKenna sounded most focused on gratitude. He knows how long the spotlight has followed him, but he also understands how rare this moment is.
“It’s been fun,” McKenna said. “I’m very grateful for where I’m at today. There’s a lot of ups and downs through it all, but if I was a young kid telling myself this is where I’d be talking in front of you guys at the NHL Draft I’d be pumped. So I try to stay grateful through it all.”
By Friday night, McKenna’s NHL destination will be known. But before the pick is announced, he is still trying to enjoy the moment with the people who helped him reach it.
From the Yukon to Penn State to the edge of the NHL, McKenna’s next chapter is about to begin.
