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
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 signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, as announced by the franchise on Friday, July 3.
But when the Maple Leafs confirmed on social media that McKenna had put pen to paper, many fans were quite critical of the front office's decision.
“Maple McKenna 🍁,” wrote the official X account of the Toronto-based franchise in a post to reveal the news, accompanied by a creative including the 18-year-old forward’s smiling photo.
It was exactly one week ago, on June 26, when the Maple Leafs selected McKenna as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
As per the report published in The Athletic, McKenna will earn a guaranteed total salary of $1,025,000, $1,075,000, and $1,125,000 over the course of the next three seasons.
It means that his contract with the Maple Leafs totals $3.23 million in value, with a cap hit of $1,075,000 over a three-year term.
Apart from that, the Whitehorse, Yukon, native could also rake in bonuses, as much as $3.5 million each season. Out of that, $1 million is “Schedule A” bonuses concerning his performances on the ice, while $2.5 million is “Schedule B” bonuses for winning certain individual trophies or awards or finishing in the top 10 of various scoring charts.
In the recently concluded 2025-26 season, McKenna performed quite impressively for Penn State as a freshman in the NCAA. While playing primarily in the left wing position, he scored 51 points (15G / 36A) for the Nittany Lions, which helped him finish tied for fifth in the standings for top scorers.
It will be quite interesting to see whether McKenna rises to the challenge of playing in the NHL in the upcoming 2026-27 season and beyond. But until then, it seems as if the Maple Leafs front office will get called out for signing him on an entry-level contract.
Fans left divided over Gavin McKenna's multi-million dollar entry-level contract
When the Toronto Maple Leafs confirmed on X that they have signed Gavin McKenna to a three-year, entry-level contract, the fans called them out left, right, and center.
One fan remarked, “Huge mistake, Leafs will regret this for years to come.”
Some fans name-dropped the Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka and executive adviser Mats Sundin while going after their front office for McKenna’s contract.
“What in the H*** is CHAYKA and SUNDIN thinking, signing a guy w no NHL experience for 3 years. UNREAL. Im officially done w the Leafs and now cheering for CANADA’S team the OTTAWA Senators,” they wrote.
“Paying $1M for a guy who hasn't even played in the NHL? What is Chayka doing???” asked another.
A fan was so unhappy about McKenna getting paid more than $1 million per season that they apparently forgot his credentials as the top NHL prospect. They wrote:
“$1.08 mill for a guy who’s never touched the ice is crazy work.”
However, there were some positive comments about McKenna's deal as well.
"Going on a limb here. I think this was a great signing by the Leafs. Forget the haters," wrote a fan.
Will Gavin McKenna prove the haters fans wrong and ease the pressure on the Toronto Maple Leafs front office in the next few seasons? Give us your thoughts in the comments.
Written by
Arjun Sharma
Edited by
Yash Kotak