Projected to be the first overall pick in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft, Gavin McKenna is just inches away from watching his lifelong dream come true. With the 2026 IIHF World Championship coming up, reports indicate the 18-year-old won’t join Hockey Canada.
“Gavin McKenna won’t be on Team Canada’s roster for the Men’s World Championship. A group decision involving Hockey Canada and McKenna’s representatives feel it’s best to focus on the NHL combine,” Darren Dreger of TSN stated on his X account.
What’s more shocking than the fact McKenna won’t represent the Maple Leaf is that it was a mutual decision between the two parties involved. McKenna’s camp and Hockey Canada believe it’s best for the projected No. 1 pick to stay in North America and prepare for the NHL Combine and Draft.
Maple Leafs may have played a role in decision
Although the Toronto Maple Leafs have avoided committing to McKenna, the Buds’ influence may be showing—especially considering Hockey Canada’s management includes former Maple Leafs GMs Brad Treliving and Kyle Dubas, as well as Jason Spezza, who played for Toronto and served as a special assistant to the GM under Dubas back in 2022–23.
Gavin McKenna is the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Perhaps the Buds had a hand in keeping McKenna on this side of the Atlantic and safe from potential setbacks or injuries while competing against some of the best players in the world. After all, the Maple Leafs are set to pick first overall for the third time in franchise history in 2026, and they aren’t letting anything throw a wrench in the works.
Maple Leafs history with No. 1 pick in Draft
Although reports hinted that the hiring of John Chayka pushed Auston Matthews further away from the Leafs, winning the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery likely put an end to those concerns. All courtesy of the winning combination: 7-2-11-12. Who needs a rebuild when four lottery balls can land a team with the best prospect in a draft class? Needless to say, every time Toronto has owned the first overall pick, it has worked out just fine.
The Maple Leafs have selected first overall twice in NHL history. The first time came in 1985, when they selected Wendel Clark, who went on to score 260 goals and tally 181 assists for a total of 441 points in 588 appearances for the Buds. The second time Toronto picked first in the NHL Draft was exactly a decade ago, when it selected Matthews, who was coming off a one-year stint in Switzerland’s National League. The current captain and franchise leading goal scorer requires no introduction.
The Buds don’t need the third time to be the charm—just another franchise-saving decision. McKenna might be doing everything by the book, leaving no doubts for the Leafs that he is the right choice at first overall. Still, many fans and analysts would have liked to see McKenna on the international stage, playing alongside the likes of Macklin Celebrini and the star-studded Canadian roster.
McKenna misses Worlds, Stenberg has yet to decide
With the 2026 IIHF World Championship (May 15–31) coming up, it remains to be seen whether Swedish prospect Ivar Stenberg—considered the second-best prospect by most, with some even rating him ahead of McKenna—will join Tre Kronor and represent his home country on the world stage.
Stenberg holds an advantage, as the tournament will be held in Switzerland, meaning he faces a much shorter trip than McKenna would. Perhaps Stenberg can improve his draft stock in the international tournament, so whether McKenna is making the right decision also remains to be seen.
SurveyShould McKenna participate in the World Championship?
Should McKenna participate in the World Championship?
ALREADY VOTED 0 PEOPLE
