Jun 26, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Gavin McKenna poses with 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 poses with 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
The opening moments of the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft gave fans a surprise that quickly became one of the night's biggest highlights. Before the Toronto Maple Leafs announced the newest player on their team, Canadian music star Justin Bieber shared a fun moment on stage with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
The moment stood out because of Bieber's playful comments before the announcement. A video shared by Sportsnet on their YouTube channel gave fans a look at what happened just before the Maple Leafs made their pick.
“Is ‘Mr. McKenna’ alright?” Bieber asked, pulling the microphone away from Bettman, a remark that could only be deciphered through lip-reading.
“Yep,” the commissioner replied.
Bieber then smiled before delivering the announcement.
“Mr. McKenna, we would like to draft you to the Toronto Maple Leafs”, Bieber announced.
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
Addressing the fans at KeyBank Center, Bieber shared that he has been a lifelong Maple Leafs supporter and said he was thankful to be part of the special evening.
A few moments later, Gavin McKenna walked onto the stage and shook hands with Bettman and Bieber after hearing his name announced.
The short conversation between Bieber and Bettman added a fun and unexpected moment to the draft. Soon after, McKenna officially became the newest member of the Maple Leafs in front of a national audience.
However, he appeared on another interview with Bieber, post the draft.
Gavin McKenna's Bieber tribute made the draft moment even more personal
As McKenna walked to the stage, the arena played Bieber's song "Yukon" as his entrance music. The song honored the forward's hometown of Whitehorse, Yukon.
“To all the Yukoners at home, that song is for you. Thanks, Justin,” following the selection, McKenna explained the choice, as found in the video posted by the Maple Leafs Instagram page.
The moment reached far beyond Buffalo. Fans in Whitehorse gathered at a local ice rink for a community watch party to celebrate one of the biggest nights in Yukon hockey history.
The celebration also continued inside the arena, where Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews appeared in a video message to congratulate McKenna.
“I know how exciting this is for you and your family, and what an incredible honor it is,” Matthews said. “Congratulations, we're just as excited to have you join the Maple Leafs and cannot wait to get started.”
Bieber's appearance matched his long-time connection with hockey. The lifelong Maple Leafs fan was a celebrity captain at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game.
He also skipped the 2025 Met Gala to watch Toronto during its Stanley Cup Playoff run. Because of that, his role in announcing McKenna's selection felt like a natural choice.
What do you think of Justin Bieber announcing the draft pick? Comment down below.
Read more at the NHL Fan Central.
Written by
Kapil Manghnani
Edited by
Soheli Tarafdar