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Gavin McKenna

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Gavin McKenna
Born (2007-12-20) December 20, 2007 (age 16)
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb)
Position Forward
Shoots Left
WHL team Medicine Hat Tigers
NHL draft Eligible 2026

Gavin McKenna (born December 20, 2007) is a Canadian junior ice hockey forward for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He will be eligible for the 2026 NHL entry draft and, as of December 2023, was projected as most likely to be taken first overall.[1][2]

Playing career

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McKenna was the first Yukon-born player to be drafted first overall in the Western Hockey League (WHL), being selected in the 2022 bantam draft by the Medicine Hat Tigers. Although he was granted exceptional player status by BC Hockey and Hockey Alberta, the third such player after Connor Bedard and Matthew Savoie, he did not receive exceptional player status with the WHL.[3][4][5] He recorded four points in his WHL debut, and finished his first season with 18 points in 16 games. He also appeared in 26 games at the under-18 prep level with the South Alberta Hockey Academy, recording 75 points.[6]

In his first full WHL season in 2023–24, McKenna recorded 34 goals and 97 points in 61 regular season games.[7] In recognition of his achievements, he received the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the WHL's rookie of the year. McKenna called it "a true honour."[8] He also won the CHL Rookie of the Year Award as the best in the three CHL component leagues,[9] and was also named to both the CHL's Third All-Star Team and its All-Rookie Team.[10]

International play

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Medal record
Representing  Canada
Men's ice hockey
World U18 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2024 Finland
Hlinka Gretzky Cup
Gold medal – first place 2024 Canada

McKenna made his international debut for Canada at the 2024 IIHF World U18 Championships. He led Team Canada in scoring with ten goals and ten assists across seven games as the team made a deep run to the gold medal game.[11] In the semi-final against Sweden, McKenna set a new Canadian record for most points at a single U18 tournament with his sixteenth, surpassing Macklin Celebrini and Tyson Jost.[12] He scored a hat trick with an additional assist in the gold medal game as Canada secured the title with a 6–4 victory over the United States.[11] He was named to the Media All-Star Team for the event.[13]

At the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, McKenna scored the game-winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Sweden to clinch a sweep of the preliminary round.[14] He finished the event with three goals and six points in five games as the Canadians continued undefeated to a gold medal.[15]

Personal life

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McKenna is Indigenous, a member of the Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin First Nation.[16] McKenna's parents both played hockey and his father constructed an outdoor rink for him to practice every winter.[3] He is a cousin-by-marriage of Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard.[17]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2022–23 Medicine Hat Tigers WHL 16 4 14 18 0 4 1 0 1 0
2023–24 Medicine Hat Tigers WHL 61 34 63 97 21 5 2 4 6 2
WHL totals 77 38 77 115 21 9 3 4 7 2

International

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Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2023 Canada Red U17 5th 7 5 3 8 0
2024 Canada U18 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 10 10 20 0
2024 Canada HG18 1st place, gold medalist(s) 5 3 3 6 0
Junior totals 19 18 16 34 0

Awards and honours

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Award Year Ref
CHL
CHL Rookie of the Year Award 2024 [9]
All-Rookie Team 2024 [10]
Third All-Star Team 2024 [10]
WHL
Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy 2024 [8]
International
World U18 Championship Media All-Star Team 2024 [13]

References

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  1. ^ Kierszenblat, Adam (October 24, 2023). "Medicine Hat Tigers' Gavin McKenna Living Up To The Hype In First Full WHL Season". The Hockey News. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  2. ^ Burdetskiy, Igor (May 14, 2023). "The Next Generational Hockey Star Has Already Been Found and Fans are Excited". Hooked on Hockey Magazine. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Taylor, Juanita (July 7, 2022). "Meet the teen hockey phenom who went from a backyard Yukon rink to the top WHL draft pick". CBC Sports. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  4. ^ "14-year-old Yukoner chosen 1st overall in Western Hockey League draft". ca.news.yahoo.com. Yahoo! News. May 20, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  5. ^ Chang, Artuto (February 22, 2023). "15-year-old hockey phenom from Yukon takes the spotlight at Canada Games". CBC Sports. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  6. ^ Kennedy, Ryan (July 22, 2023). "2026 NHL Draft Sneak Peek: Gavin McKenna shows his stripes in the WHL". The Hockey News. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  7. ^ Elliot, Jim (April 5, 2024). "Yukon's Gavin McKenna up for WHL rookie of the year honours". yukon-news.com. Yukon News. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Kepke, Cami (May 7, 2024). "Yukon's Gavin McKenna up for WHL rookie of the year honours". Western Hockey League. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Séguin, Christopher (June 1, 2024). "Jagger Firkus named Player of the Year as the best & brightest from the CHL are recognized at the 2024 CHL Awards". Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Séguin, Christopher (June 2, 2024). "CHL Announces 2023-24 All-Star and All-Rookie Teams presented by CCM". Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Aykroyd, Lucas (May 5, 2024). "McKenna sparks Canada to gold". IIHF.com. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  12. ^ Jurewicz, Chris (May 5, 2024). "Canada barely hangs on for semi-final win". IIHF.com. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Jurewicz, Chris (May 5, 2024). "Hagens named tournament MVP". IIHF.com. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  14. ^ Petryshen, Dawson (August 8, 2024). "WHL Star Gavin McKenna Scores Game-Winning Goal to Sweep Preliminary Round For Canada". The Hockey News. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  15. ^ Van Diest, Derek (August 11, 2024). "McKenna motivated by Bedard's advice, helps Canada win Hlinka Gretzky Cup". National Hockey League. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  16. ^ Egwu, Patrick (November 15, 2023). "Gavin McKenna makes U-17 world tournament all-star team". Yukon News. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  17. ^ "Whitehorse hockey star Gavin McKenna makes 'Memorable' debut". Whitehorse Star. October 6, 2022. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
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