The Result Has A Second Meaning
BUFFALO – Gavin McKenna brought the same intensity that defined his second-half surge at Penn State straight into the NHL scouting combine this week. The 18-year-old winger from Whitehorse posted top-eight finishes in four fitness tests, including a first-place result in the VO2 max aerobic test, proving his conditioning translates from the ice to the lab.
"As soon as my season was done I didn't really take a break," McKenna said after completing fitness testing on Saturday at LECOM Harborcenter. "I wanted to prepare for the combine."
The record does not need much decoration; it already does the talking.
McKenna opted to focus on the combine rather than pursue an opportunity with Team Canada at the senior men's World Championship. The decision made sense when the numbers arrived: fourth in isokinetic squats, tied for sixth in pull-ups, eighth in the force plate no-arm jump. His frame—5-foot-11.25, 170 pounds—is not imposing, but he wanted to demonstrate he could compete physically against larger prospects.
"My frame's not the biggest so I just wanted to show that I could compete out there and I could work hard off the ice," he said. "That's a big key to carry through to the next level."
Those long shifts have clearly helped him. The grueling bike events that dread even seasoned professionals became his statement piece. "That's one that guys are always dreading to do," McKenna said with a smile. "I think those long shifts have helped me through my career."
McKenna entered the season as the favorite to go first overall but experienced the expected growing pains transitioning from the Western Hockey League, where he piled up 129 points in 56 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers in 2024-25, to NCAA competition at Penn State.
The Part Worth Keeping
He stayed off Instagram all season but still heard the critics. "When you see yourself at the top since a young age and then you start to see the things in the media—you know, I've fallen down, having a bad start to the year—you get pretty fired up from it," he said. "I kind of got sick and tired of seeing it and just kind of used it as fuel."
The World Juniors in Minnesota marked the turning point. McKenna finished second in tournament scoring with 14 points in seven games, though Canada settled for bronze. "World Juniors is kind of where my season flipped around," he said. "I was a lot more confident and not gripping my stick as tight, and it led to a better second half."
His chief rival for the top pick, Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg, left the World Juniors with a gold medal and considerable buzz. At that moment, the race felt closer than ever. But Stenberg was unable to participate in combine testing due to illness, and McKenna's strong performance appears to have re-established him atop the class of 2026.
The Maple Leafs own the first-overall pick. General manager John Chayka recently visited McKenna and his family in Whitehorse, praising the player's character. McKenna, who admired Patrick Kane growing up, is due to visit Toronto next week.
"Any time you get to talk to a team like that and they invite you to their city, it's a pretty big honour," he said. "I'm looking forward to it."
The adversity McKenna faced this season forged a blueprint he can carry forward. "It's something I'll carry with me forever," he said. "I learnt that hard work is the key to confidence, and when you start working hard, things start to pay off."