World Juniors Gives Gavin McKenna Chance to Silence Doubters

Gavin McKenna enters the World Junior Championship with something to prove. The elite puck-mover is widely considered one of the top prospects for the 2026 NHL Draft, but last year's tournament left some questions unanswered.

Add in his controversial decision to commit to Penn State, and McKenna has plenty of doubters to silence. Many in the hockey world have questioned whether an elite prospect should take the NCAA route instead of staying in junior hockey or jumping straight to the NHL.

McKenna's commitment to Penn State raised eyebrows among scouts and analysts who wonder if it's the right development path for someone projected to go in the top five of the draft.

Last Year's Struggles

McKenna struggled to produce points at the 2025 World Juniors, though to be fair, the entire Canadian roster had the same problem. But for a player projected to go at the top of the draft, expectations are different. The talent is obvious. The production needs to follow.

The good news is that Canada appears to have all the tools necessary to help McKenna succeed this time around. If everything goes according to plan, he should finish somewhere in the 13-15 point range. That kind of performance would silence any doubters about both his ability and his development path.

McKenna is an elite-level puck-mover who can absolutely dominate any shift when he's at his best. He showed real promise at points last year, and his ability to beat opponents in one-on-one situations is exceptional. Very few players his age can control a game the way McKenna can when he has the puck.

Canada put up 13 goals in their final #WorldJuniors pre-tournament game with Gavin McKenna putting up a team leading 5 points 🇨🇦🔥

(via: @CHLHockey) pic.twitter.com/XIS7ruvJiS
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 24, 2025

The concern is what happens when he doesn't have it. His play away from the puck remains his biggest weakness, and scouts will be watching closely to see if he's made improvements in that area. At the NHL level, you can't survive on offensive talent alone.

Strong Pre-Tournament Showing

McKenna opened some eyes during the pre-tournament schedule with a five-point performance against Denmark. No other player had a more dominant showing over the past week, which is exactly the kind of statement he needed to make heading into the real games.

That performance shows McKenna is ready to take advantage of this opportunity. Being a top prospect doesn't guarantee you'll be a top-line player at this event, but McKenna absolutely will be. He'll get every chance to succeed and prove his doubters wrong.

The World Junior Championship runs from December 26 through January 5 in Minnesota. For McKenna specifically, a quiet showing could bring up serious questions about his draft stock and whether his decision to go the NCAA route was the right one.

But if he dominates the way he's capable of dominating, he'll remind everyone why he was considered the top prospect in the first place. The stage is set. Now McKenna needs to deliver.

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