Gavin McKenna hasn’t officially joined the Toronto Maple Leafs yet, but despite that, he is doing whatever it takes to find a place in the hearts of their fans. The 18-year-old Penn State forward is among the top prospects for the 2026 NHL Draft, and the Maple Leafs are likely to use their No. 1 pick on him later this week.

Sportsnet shared a video post on X in which their reporter Colby Armstrong spoke with him about the draft and the Maple Leafs, among other things, on Tuesday, June 23.

“I think it would be super cool being a Canadian kid. And going to the biggest market in the world, it’d be pretty special,” McKenna responded to what it would be like being a part of the Maple Leafs. “Obviously, if you’re not playing well there, you’ll hear about it. But if you win a cup there, you’re doing good. It’s probably one of the best spots to be.”

Apart from hoping to join the Maple Leafs, McKenna wasn’t coy in the interview about the support from their fans largely dependent on the results from the team. It could be considered as his attempt to get the Toronto faithful on his side ahead of his potential first season with them in 2026-27.

Earlier in the same interview, Armstrong asked McKenna about his whereabouts when the Maple Leafs won the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery last month.

“I was in Kelowna with one of my agents, Byron Ritchie, and pretty shocked obviously. I didn’t even think the Maple Leafs were going to get it. [I] honestly forgot that they were like in it,” the teenager remarked about the unexpected turn of events from last month. “It was crazy.”

As one of the most consistent teams in the Atlantic Division, the Maple Leafs weren’t expected to finish bottom last season after nine straight Stanley Cup Playoff finishes. Since only the teams that didn’t finish in the playoff spots get to participate in the lottery, the Maple Leafs got the unanticipated chance to earn themselves the No. 1 pick in the draft.

They ultimately secured the first overall selection, which means that McKenna could join his preferred franchise in the upcoming draft.

Gavin McKenna to walk out on Justin Bieber's Song during the 2026 NHL Draft

Gavin McKenna is looking to represent his roots with Canadian singer Justin Bieber’s song “YUKON” as his walk-up number during the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday, June 26. He hails from Whitehorse, Yukon, a territory in the northwestern area of Canada, largely known for its mountains and cold weather.

Mark Masters took to his official X account on June 23 to mention his fellow TSN reporter Gino Reda, who had talked to McKenna on the matter in an interview.

“Gavin McKenna tells @GinoRedaTSN he's planning to use YUKON by @justinbieber as his walk-up song at the draft on Friday night,” Masters wrote in his post on X.

McKenna is projected to be the No. 1 pick of the Maple Leafs in the 64th draft edition, set to happen at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, the home of the Sabres.

“It just makes sense coming from the Yukon,” McKenna said to Reda about why he decided to go with the song from Bieber, per Masters.

Also, McKenna came back home to Canada to watch the FIFA World Cup, as per the report published on the ABC27 News’ website on the same day. He posted a video on Instagram stories for the Group L match between Croatia and Panama at the BMO Field, aka Toronto Stadium in Ontario.

Is Gavin McKenna joining the Toronto Maple Leafs really a foregone conclusion? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

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Written by

Arjun Sharma

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi