The Toronto Maple Leafs didn't shock the NHL world on Friday night. Holding the first overall pick, the Maple Leafs didn't go in a different direction, as they did what everyone expected to do, and that was to draft Penn State winger Gavin McKenna. The Maple Leafs made the pick a memorable one, with pop star Justin Bieber helping make the announcement.
McKenna has received a warm welcome since being the latest member of the Maple Leafs. He already received a congratulatory message from idol and current NHL winger Patrick Kane. Now, some of Toronto's top professional sports teams are laying out the red carpet for McKenna.
On Saturday, McKenna announced that he would be attending the Blue Jays' home game against the Texas Rangers. Sure enough, the Blue Jays sent out a photo of McKenna on the field at Rogers Centre wearing their blue baseball jersey and a Maple Leafs hat. But McKenna wasn't only there to take in the game.
Blue Jays, Raptors welcome Gavin McKenna to Toronto
Just before the start of the Blue Jays' game against the Rangers, McKenna threw out the ceremonial first pitch. For those curious about the throw by McKenna, it was a bit high and on the outside.
Gavin McKenna tosses the ceremonial first pitch ahead of the Blue Jays game ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/ulIsdsuwSO
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 27, 2026
The Blue Jays weren't the only team in Toronto to welcome McKenna. The Raptors, the NBA team in Toronto, sent out a video of their first-round pick Allen Graves watching McKenna get drafted. Graves, the 19th overall pick out of Santa Clara, sent his congratulations to McKenna after he was selected first overall.
"Want to say welcome, fellow rookie to rookie," said Graves. "I hope you know it's a great city. I just got out here, but I can already tell you're gonna have a lot of support from the fans. Everybody's so welcoming, so you're going to have a great time here."
A warm welcome from @allengraves_5 and @justinbieber 😮💨 Welcome to the city Gavin 😈 pic.twitter.com/D3j50ZHpjh
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) June 27, 2026
The Maple Leafs missed out on the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season, which came right after the team moved on from Mitch Marner last offseason. The team was a disaster, resulting in general manager Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube being fired. Holding the fifth-best odds of winning the NHL Draft Lottery and the No. 1 overall pick, the Leafs were rewarded with a victory. Thus, they had the rights to draft McKenna.
This past season at Penn State, McKenna recorded 15 goals and 36 assists in 31 games. The year prior with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL, McKenna put up 41 goals and 88 assists in 56 regular season games, while recording nine goals and 29 assists in 16 playoff games.
In terms of his chances in the professionals, McKenna is expected to factor into the Maple Leafs' plans entering next season. He received pro comparisons to the likes of Marner, Kane, and Nikita Kucherov, so he is expected to be a main difference maker in Toronto. Not only are the Leafs pumped up for McKenna joining the city, but also the Blue Jays and Raptors.
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