Gavin McKenna is still a teenager, but he has already learned one of the first rules of NHL life: people will talk.

The former Penn State hockey player dealt with everything from adulation to hate from hockey fans throughout his first season in the NCAA, and he has found preparing for the 2026 NHL Draft no different.

McKenna skipped the IIHF World Championships, despite other top prospects playing, to prepare for the NHL Combine. It had a huge reaction from the hockey world, with analysts questioning the choice and fans claiming it hurt his draft stock.

“I’m still taking McKenna first overall, but it’s interesting he opted out instead of playing for Team Canada,” Leafs Papi, a Toronto Maple Leafs fan account, said on X. “Stenberg’s stock has only risen since.”

Ivar Stenberg is the No. 2-ranked prospect in the draft. He scored four goals and six assists in seven games at the World Championships.

McKenna didn’t acknowledge the controversy; he never does. He just put his head down and kept working, not even taking a break after the college hockey season ended.

“As soon as my season was done, I didn’t really take a break,” He said. “I wanted to prepare for the combine… every single day in the gym we were just working.”

Work that later helped him become one of the top performers at the combine, finishing in the top 10 on five of the fitness tests.

“I wanted to prepare hard for this, and I think sometimes my frame’s not the biggest, so I just wanted to show that I can compete out there and I can work hard off the ice,” said McKenna. “I think that’s a big key to carry through the next level. So I think when you can take care of your body and are physically strong, I think that’s the key to a long career.”

McKenna also had to go through a set of interviews with teams interested in the forward. A process that McKenna said he was nervous about but settled into after the first one.

“They really care about who they’re drafting and really want to know the person,” McKenna said. “Everyone here is a good talent, so they want to figure out who the best people are.”

Despite the criticism, skipping the IIHF World Championship seemingly worked in his favor. Bleacher Report reported that McKenna is still projected to be the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft despite missing out on a fourth-place finish with Team Canada.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have first dibs on the Nittany Lion as they hold the top draft pick in the NHL Draft.

With expectations that the Canadian forward will be the first name called, Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka visited McKenna and his family in Whitehorse.

“Gavin is a really nice young man. Really quality family. Spent some quality time with him, got to know him. He’s a small-town kid. It’s a remote area of the world, very peaceful but beautiful,” Chayka said. “Within that, I think there’s some real resolve around who he is and what his career means to him and his family, and I find it impressive.”

Moving to Toronto would offer no escape from the internet trolls and fans, as the city is home to some of the most passionate in North America. McKenna would be walking into a win-now environment with people watching his every move. Very similar to his time in Happy Valley, just scaled up.

McKenna sounds like he understands what he is walking into if selected by the Maple Leafs.

“Obviously, it is the biggest hockey market in the world. I would be very honored,” he said.

He also said he knows what comes with that kind of spotlight. He understands the pressure and the expectations. He’s been dealing with them his entire career.