The Toronto Maple Leafs made perhaps the easiest decision imaginable on the first night of the 2026 NHL Draft. With the first overall pick, the Maple Leafs drafted Penn State winger Gavin McKenna. The hope is that McKenna can be a pivotal piece to their core to help bring Toronto it's first Stanley Cup title since 1967.
McKenna was the undisputed top pick in this year's draft class, and received some incredible comparisons to some of the top stars in the game. In fact, former NHL goalie and ESPN analyst Kevin Weekes said during the first round broadcast that he sees glimpses of Nikita Kucherov, Mitch Marner, and Patrick Kane in his game. While Maple Leafs fans don't want to hear Marner's name, the other two players are ones that should get them excited about McKenna's potential.
While speaking with reporters on Saturday morning, McKenna revealed that Kane reached out to him to congratulate him on being the No. 1 overall pick. McKenna said, h/t Mark Masters of TSN, "he's my idol so that was cool."
Gavin McKenna says he received about 60 messages on his phone last night after going 1st overall
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) June 27, 2026
"I don't have my number out there so there's not a whole lot of texts" 🙂
One that stood out?
"Patrick Kane texted me. He's my idol so that was cool."@BarDown
Gavin McKenna reveals Patrick Kane reached out to him after being drafted by Maple Leafs
It doesn't get any cooler than that. Getting drafted into the NHL as the top overall pick, and receiving a text message from one of his idols immediately afterwards. What an entry into the NHL.
While Kane is on the back-burner of his career, it can't be forgotten just how dominant he was early on in his career as the 2007 first overall pick of the Chicago Blackhawks. Once he was drafted, he became one of the top stars in the NHL due to his scoring prowess and his role in the dynasty the Blackhawks built in the early 2010s, highlighted by three Stanley Cup title victories in six years.
Through his 19-year NHL career between the Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and Detroit Red Wings, Kane has 508 goals and 892 assists to his credit. Additionally, he has four All-Star Game appearances, a Calder Trophy for the 2007-08 season, a Hart Trophy for the 2015-16 season, and Conn Smythe Trophy during the Blackhawks' run to the Stanley Cup in 2013.
If McKenna gets anywhere close to a professional hockey career as Kane, Maple Leafs fans would surely sign up for that. McKenna has yet to take the ice for the Maple Leafs just yet, but the expectations from fans and the team are through the roof. McKenna was long hyped as a future star in the league before even declaring for the draft. With the Maple Leafs having a brutal 2025-26 season, they were rewarded with the luck of the draw and the first overall pick to select McKenna. Not a bad consolation prize.
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