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Penn State's Gavin McKenna Heads to Toronto With Justin Bieber Riding Shotgun

The Nittany Lions' first No. 1 overall pick shares the NHL Draft stage with a pop star.
Mark Wogenrich|
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.
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. | Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

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.

McKenna 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.

McKenna 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.

Before 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.

Of the moment, McKenna said, "this isn't what I imagined when I was a young kid," calling it "so much better."

Squaring 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.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is the editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs, three Rose Bowls and one College Football Playoff appearance.

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