Leafs select Penn State forward with No. 1 pick | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Toronto selected Penn State forward Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft on Friday night in Buffalo, where Yukon watched and many Maple Leafs fans were in attendance. The 18-year-old winger from Whitehorse, Yukon, was described as a prolific scorer and his selection validated projections as the top prospect for his age group more than two years earlier. McKenna’s pick was announced by longtime Leafs fan and Canadian-born pop icon Justin Bieber, who joined NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on stage and later shared a welcome video from captain Auston Matthews, the Leafs’ No. 1 pick a decade earlier. The article notes Toronto’s rebuilding context under new general manager John Chayka, after finishing last in the Atlantic Division and missing playoffs for the first time since Matthews arrived. McKenna posted 79 goals and 244 points in 133 WHL games with Medicine Hat, then scored 32 points in his NCAA freshman season’s final 17 outings for 51 points total, tied for fourth in the nation. The Sharks took Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg at No. 2. The draft class is viewed as lighter on forwards and deeper in defensemen.