NHL Draft day has finally come.

Former Penn State men’s hockey star Gavin McKenna will likely be drafted No. 1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday.

The 18-year-old forward enters the draft as one of the most highly anticipated prospects in recent years, but he’s more than ready for the moment.

“I’m looking forward to it all,” McKenna said. “It’s obviously been something I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid.”

With all of the attention surrounding his future, McKenna has spent much of his final media appearance reflecting on the people and community that helped him get there.

He specifically talked about the Yukon and how much he appreciates the support that the community gave him, saying it was “pretty special.”

He said his hometown and the lessons he learned there are what make him such a hard worker.

The Nittany Lion has the benefit of almost being a surefire No. 1 overall selection; otherwise, the last few days could have been really stressful. The NHL saw a lot of trades this past week, including multiple draft picks in the 2026 NHL Draft. Teams such as the New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, and Colorado Avalanche now hold new picks.

McKenna said on Thursday that it’s been nice to watch the action as a fan.

“I’m just really trying to take it all in,” McKenna said. “You only get to go through this once in your life.”

McKenna’s rise, and subsequent No. 1 prospect rating, began long before draft projections and NHL comparisons, though. At 14 years old, he made his Western Hockey League debut and recorded four assists in his first game, immediately establishing himself as one to keep an eye on.

“It’s flown by,” McKenna said on his journey. “There’s been a lot of ups and downs, but through it all, it’s been some of the best years of my life.”

His path to the draft included one year with Penn State, where he believes an extra year of development helped prepare him for the next level. He watched other players like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith take the extra year and step into the NHL comfortably.

That growth extended beyond the ice, however, as the season tested him personally and forced him to navigate the pressure that comes with being considered the top prospect in his draft class, he said.

“There were a lot of ups and downs this year,” he said. “For me, just trying to battle through that stuff and block out all the noise and stay humble and stay positive through it all.”

McKenna was the center of a lot of heckling from fans on social media and ice rinks around the country this year as his reported $700,000 contract meant unreasonably high expectations for an 18-year-old.

That noise only grew when he got a now-dropped felony aggravated assault charge for a fight outside of a bar. He credited his family and peers for keeping him grounded and focused on the right things through it all.

The challenging year only made him stronger, which will help if he is drafted to an even harder, more critical fan base in Toronto.

Worrying about that can wait, though. For now, McKenna is just focused on completing his childhood dream.

“If I was a young kid telling myself this is where I’d be, talking in front of you guys at the NHL Draft, I’d be pumped,” he said.