Gavin McKenna played for Canada at the 2026 World Junior Championship.
photo: Tim Austen/IIHF
To no one’ surprise, Whitehorse, Yukon, native Gavin McKenna was selected first overall by Toronto at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. The 18-year-old had a sensational year with Penn State in NCAA hockey and was a dominant player at the 2026 World Juniors, finishing second in scoring.
McKenna was one of ten Canadians selected in the first round last night in Buffalo. Sweden and the United States each had seven selections, while Finland and Russia had three. The Czechs and Latvians had one each.
By position, there were 22 forwards, ten defenders, and not a single goalie selected.
Going second overall to San Jose was Ivar Stenberg. The 18-year-old led Sweden to gold at the World Juniors, and a year ago he won silver at the World U18s. He had a goal and two assists in that 4-2 win over Czechia for World Junior gold, and he was third in team scoring at the senior 2026 World Championships.
Stenberg joins a Sharks team that includes Canada’s Macklin Celebrini, the 19-year-old who just had a 115-point season in his second year in the NHL. The Sharks were the only team to have three selections in the opening round. They later took two Canadians—Keaton Verhoeff (9th) and Ryan Lin (21st).
The lone Latvian was Alberts Smits, who went fifth overall to the New York Rangers. Smits is a big and powerful defender who had a remarkable 2025-26 season. He played at the World Juniors, the Olympics, and the senior World Championships, demonstrating at every level his maturity, his ability to adjust, and his remarkable puck sense, no matter what the level of play.
The only Czech selected was Adam Novotny, who went 24th overall to Vancouver. He won a bronze medal (2025) and silver (2026) at the World Juniors.
But perhaps the most extraordinary selection was the last. Jaxon Cover was selected 32nd overall by Ottawa. He was born in Miami but raised in the Cayman Islands and learned to play ice hockey via roller hockey. He attended hockey camps in Toronto in the summers and finally moved to north of the city to play high school hockey at St. Andrew’s College, but the Caymans still consider him one of their own.
Among Canada’s selections was Caleb Malhotra, who went third overall to Vancouver. His father, Manny, who played at the 1998 and 2000 World Juniors and the 2002 World Championship. Another family connection saw Wyatt Cullen go 10th to Nashville. The American forward was named to the All-Star Team at the 2026 WM18 tournament, and his father is Matt Cullen, a longtime NHLer himself.
Viggo Bjorck was selected 8th overall by Winnipeg. He won World Junior gold with Sweden this past season and also was a significant player with the team at the World Championship just last month. Like Stenberg, he won a silver medal with the U18 team as well.
Sweden’s gold-medal team from the 2026 U18s shone bright. Four players were selected in the first round, including Alexander Command (New Jersey, 12th), Malte Gustafsson (NY Islanders, 13th), Elton Hermansson (Los Angeles, 19th), and Marcus Nordmark (Anaheim, 28th).
All three Finns participated in junior level tournaments in IIHF play this past season. Oscar Hemming (Columbus, 14th) played at the World Juniors while Oliver Suvanto (Washington, 18th) and Juho Piiparinen (Vegas, 29th) played at the World U18 Championship.
The top American was Chase Reid, who played in the OHL the past two seasons and also at the 2026 World Juniors.
2026 Entry Draft—First Round
1--Toronto Maple Leafs - Gavin McKenna (CAN)
2--San Jose Sharks - Ivar Stenberg (SWE)
3--Vancouver Canucks - Caleb Malhotra (CAN)
4--Buffalo Sabres (via CHI) - Daxon Rudolph (CAN)
5--New York Rangers - Alberts Smits (LAT)
6--Calgary Flames - Carson Carels (CAN)
7--Seattle Kraken - Chase Reid (USA)
8--Winnipeg Jets - Viggo Bjorck (SWE)
9--San Jose Sharks - Keaton Verhoeff (CAN)
10--Nashville Predators - Wyatt Cullen (USA)
11--St. Louis Blues - Tynan Lawrence (CAN)
12--New Jersey Devils - Alexander Command (SWE)
13--New York Islanders - Malte Gustafsson (SWE)
14--Columbus Blue Jackets - Oscar Hemming (FIN)
15--Anaheim Ducks - Nikita Klepov (USA)
16--St. Louis Blues - Maddox Dagenais (CAN)
17--Utah Mammoth - Ethan Belchetz (CAN)
18--Washington Capitals - Oliver Suvanto (FIN)
19--Los Angeles Kings - Elton Hermansson (SWE)
20--Buffalo Sabres - Ilia Morozov (RUS)
21--San Jose Sharks - Ryan Lin (CAN)
22--Pittsburgh Penguins - Liam Ruck (CAN)
23--Detroit Red Wings - J.P. Hurlbert (USA)
24--Vancouver Canucks - Adam Novotny (CZE)
25--Ottawa Senators - Jonas Lagerberg Hoen (SWE)
26--Montreal Canadiens - Gleb Pugachyov (RUS)
27--Philadelphia Flyers - Maksim Sokolovskii (RUS)
28--Anaheim Ducks - Marcus Nordmark (SWE)
29--Vegas Golden Knights - Juho Piiparinen (FIN)
30--Calgary Flames - Jack Hextall (USA)
31--Nashville Predators - Tommy Bleyl (USA)
32--Ottawa Senators - Jaxon Cover (USA)
McKenna was one of ten Canadians selected in the first round last night in Buffalo. Sweden and the United States each had seven selections, while Finland and Russia had three. The Czechs and Latvians had one each.
By position, there were 22 forwards, ten defenders, and not a single goalie selected.
Going second overall to San Jose was Ivar Stenberg. The 18-year-old led Sweden to gold at the World Juniors, and a year ago he won silver at the World U18s. He had a goal and two assists in that 4-2 win over Czechia for World Junior gold, and he was third in team scoring at the senior 2026 World Championships.
Stenberg joins a Sharks team that includes Canada’s Macklin Celebrini, the 19-year-old who just had a 115-point season in his second year in the NHL. The Sharks were the only team to have three selections in the opening round. They later took two Canadians—Keaton Verhoeff (9th) and Ryan Lin (21st).
The lone Latvian was Alberts Smits, who went fifth overall to the New York Rangers. Smits is a big and powerful defender who had a remarkable 2025-26 season. He played at the World Juniors, the Olympics, and the senior World Championships, demonstrating at every level his maturity, his ability to adjust, and his remarkable puck sense, no matter what the level of play.
The only Czech selected was Adam Novotny, who went 24th overall to Vancouver. He won a bronze medal (2025) and silver (2026) at the World Juniors.
But perhaps the most extraordinary selection was the last. Jaxon Cover was selected 32nd overall by Ottawa. He was born in Miami but raised in the Cayman Islands and learned to play ice hockey via roller hockey. He attended hockey camps in Toronto in the summers and finally moved to north of the city to play high school hockey at St. Andrew’s College, but the Caymans still consider him one of their own.
Among Canada’s selections was Caleb Malhotra, who went third overall to Vancouver. His father, Manny, who played at the 1998 and 2000 World Juniors and the 2002 World Championship. Another family connection saw Wyatt Cullen go 10th to Nashville. The American forward was named to the All-Star Team at the 2026 WM18 tournament, and his father is Matt Cullen, a longtime NHLer himself.
Viggo Bjorck was selected 8th overall by Winnipeg. He won World Junior gold with Sweden this past season and also was a significant player with the team at the World Championship just last month. Like Stenberg, he won a silver medal with the U18 team as well.
Sweden’s gold-medal team from the 2026 U18s shone bright. Four players were selected in the first round, including Alexander Command (New Jersey, 12th), Malte Gustafsson (NY Islanders, 13th), Elton Hermansson (Los Angeles, 19th), and Marcus Nordmark (Anaheim, 28th).
All three Finns participated in junior level tournaments in IIHF play this past season. Oscar Hemming (Columbus, 14th) played at the World Juniors while Oliver Suvanto (Washington, 18th) and Juho Piiparinen (Vegas, 29th) played at the World U18 Championship.
The top American was Chase Reid, who played in the OHL the past two seasons and also at the 2026 World Juniors.
2026 Entry Draft—First Round
1--Toronto Maple Leafs - Gavin McKenna (CAN)
2--San Jose Sharks - Ivar Stenberg (SWE)
3--Vancouver Canucks - Caleb Malhotra (CAN)
4--Buffalo Sabres (via CHI) - Daxon Rudolph (CAN)
5--New York Rangers - Alberts Smits (LAT)
6--Calgary Flames - Carson Carels (CAN)
7--Seattle Kraken - Chase Reid (USA)
8--Winnipeg Jets - Viggo Bjorck (SWE)
9--San Jose Sharks - Keaton Verhoeff (CAN)
10--Nashville Predators - Wyatt Cullen (USA)
11--St. Louis Blues - Tynan Lawrence (CAN)
12--New Jersey Devils - Alexander Command (SWE)
13--New York Islanders - Malte Gustafsson (SWE)
14--Columbus Blue Jackets - Oscar Hemming (FIN)
15--Anaheim Ducks - Nikita Klepov (USA)
16--St. Louis Blues - Maddox Dagenais (CAN)
17--Utah Mammoth - Ethan Belchetz (CAN)
18--Washington Capitals - Oliver Suvanto (FIN)
19--Los Angeles Kings - Elton Hermansson (SWE)
20--Buffalo Sabres - Ilia Morozov (RUS)
21--San Jose Sharks - Ryan Lin (CAN)
22--Pittsburgh Penguins - Liam Ruck (CAN)
23--Detroit Red Wings - J.P. Hurlbert (USA)
24--Vancouver Canucks - Adam Novotny (CZE)
25--Ottawa Senators - Jonas Lagerberg Hoen (SWE)
26--Montreal Canadiens - Gleb Pugachyov (RUS)
27--Philadelphia Flyers - Maksim Sokolovskii (RUS)
28--Anaheim Ducks - Marcus Nordmark (SWE)
29--Vegas Golden Knights - Juho Piiparinen (FIN)
30--Calgary Flames - Jack Hextall (USA)
31--Nashville Predators - Tommy Bleyl (USA)
32--Ottawa Senators - Jaxon Cover (USA)