Gavin McKenna went from Yukon, Canada, to Penn State to sharing a stage with Justin Bieber at the 2026 NHL Draft, where he was the No. 1 overall pick Friday night. One day after introducing their new head coach, the Maple Leafs made McKenna their top pick of the two-day draft, just as most hockey experts predicted when McKenna signed with Penn State last year.McKenna became the 20th Penn State hockey player drafted since 2010 and just the second first-round pick, joining Jackson Smith in the 2025 draft. He also was introduced by Bieber, whose song Yukon" served as his walk-up music. McKenna is from Yukon, Whitehorse, Canada.— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) June 26, 2026McKenna to the Maple Leafs was a foregone conclusion since Toronto won the draft lottery but still required the obligatory phone call with the GM. John Chayka, Toronto's general manager, said that McKenna continued to impress the Maple Leafs through ever step of the draft process.“Gavin is an exceptional young man with tremendous talent and character,” Chayka said. “Throughout this process, we had the opportunity to get to know him and his family, and each interaction strengthened our belief in him as both a player and a person. We're thrilled to welcome him to the Toronto Maple Leafs.”Toronto star Auston Matthews appeared via video to welcome McKenna to the Maple Leafs with a personal, if rigid, message. "We're just as excited to have you join the Maple Leafs and cannot wait to get started," Matthews said."You're coming to a franchise with an amazing history and fanbase. We're all working to write the next big chapter together." Auston Matthews shares a message with his newest teammate, Gavin McKenna, moments after being drafted first overall 🍁 pic.twitter.com/tUR9HDBjh1— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 26, 2026McKenna became just the fifth college hockey player drafted No. 1 overall and gave Penn State a unique place in both 2026 professional hockey drafts. Tessa Janecke, who led the Penn State women's hockey team to their first Frozen Four bid, was selected No. 3 overall by Las Vegas in the PWHL Draft on June 16.McKenna has spoken at length recently about his family's roots and what they means to him. He wore two pins made by his sister that represent his family's indigenous heritage.The projected No. 1 pick in the NHL draft, Gavin McKenna, is representing his indigenous community with custom pins made by his sister 👏 pic.twitter.com/eFveWCtLAe— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 26, 2026Before the pick was official, ESPN's Kevin Weekes called McKenna a "game breaker" who had a dynamic season with Penn State. McKenna arrived in State College at age 17 but went on to lead the NCAA in assists per game and finish second in points per game."[Gavin McKenna] came out and established his offensive game. He made plays. He's a game breaker."@KevinWeekes anticipates Gavin McKenna being the No. 1 draft pick 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/fWfoN4vSqU— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 26, 2026Of the moment, McKenna said, "this isn't what I imagined when I was a young kid," calling it "so much better."A dream come true 💙 pic.twitter.com/j8PKPaXFr6— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 27, 2026Squaring the circle perfectly, McKenna took the stage to Bieber's song "Yukon" and then conducted his first interview as an NHL player sitting next to Bieber.Yukon on repeat pic.twitter.com/utWDXXEqQf— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 26, 2026Sign up to our free Penn State Nittany Lions newsletter and follow us on social media.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow