Jun 26, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Gavin McKenna puts on a sweater beside NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and singer Justin Bieber after being selected with the first pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Gavin McKenna Shares His Reaction to Memorable NHL Draft Moment With Justin Bieber: "Pretty Cool"

Jun 27, 2026, 12:30 PM CUT

Gavin McKenna was announced as the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday night in Buffalo, New York. The Toronto Maple Leafs selected him in the presence of Canadian pop star Justin Bieber, who stepped onto the stage at KeyBank Center to announce McKenna's name.

Bieber is a longtime Maple Leafs fan, a regular at the games, and is friends with several Toronto players. When Bieber made the announcement, there was a roar from the arena, confirming one of the most anticipated draft picks.

In the post-draft interviews, Gavin McKenna said that he already knew that he’d be the first overall pick.

“Yeah, he was looking at me, so I was kinda thinking maybe," said McKenna (via @FloHockey on X), adding, "Yeah, I'm a huge Justin Bieber fan, yea, playing his song for my walk up was a pretty cool moment. Just crazy what’s going on.”

McKenna had already planned to use Bieber's 2025 track "Yukon" for his walk-up as an ode to his hometown, Whitehorse in Canada's Yukon Territory.

McKenna sat next to Bieber in his post-draft interviews, and Bieber was equally excited. "It's hard to put in words, honestly," he said. "Being here, it's a dream, bro. I know this guy is going to kill it."

McKenna's selection was not a surprise to most people, as he had been linked to Toronto ever since the club won the draft lottery in May.

Busy night across the 2026 NHL Draft

McKenna's selection opened the first round to an eventful night, which had nine trades and several major roster moves.

Per USA Today, the Boston Bruins made the early move when they acquired the winger J.J. Peterka from the Utah Mammoth. This was in exchange for the 23rd overall pick and a 2028 first-round pick.

The Vegas Golden Knights then sent Pavel Dorofeyev, who scored 37 goals in the regular season, to the New York Rangers for the 26th pick and additional assets. The Rangers immediately signed Pavel to a seven-year contract worth $77 million.

Later, the Anaheim Ducks traded Mason McTavish to the St. Louis Blues for the 15th and 29th overall picks.

San Jose selected the Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg as their second overall pick, while the Vancouver Canucks made their third pick, Caleb Malhotra, the son of present Canucks coach Manny Malhotra.

Rounds 2 through 7 of the 2026 NHL Draft will take place on Saturday, starting at 11 a.m. ET.

Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Yash Kotak