Gavin McKenna is the top prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft. He hails from Western Canada and spent the last two seasons playing in the Canadian Hockey League with the Medicine Hat Tigers. He has done nearly everything there is to do in Canadian Junior hockey, but came up short with a loss in this past season’s Memorial Cup Final.
At one point this season, McKenna went on a 54-game point streak, which broke the record in the 21st century set by Alexander Radulov. He recorded 129 points over the 54 games, which only ended in a tough WHL Final matchup against the Spokane Chiefs.
It’s possible that McKenna feels there’s nothing left to prove in the CHL, which is why he’s considering making an unprecedented move to the NCAA for the 2025-26 season, according to Andy Strickland.
McKenna is still considering a return to Medicine Hat, but Michigan, Boston College, Michigan State, and Penn State have also expressed interest in his services.
We have seen Canadian players go the NCAA route before, namely 2024 first overall pick Macklin Celebrini, who spent his draft year playing at Boston University. However, the move from the CHL to the NCAA is unprecedented due to NIL.
The rule stated that any player who spent more than 48 hours with a CHL team would not be eligible to play college hockey, as junior players in Canada receive a small amount of money for living expenses, thereby compromising their amateur eligibility. Due to NIL, this rule no longer applies, opening up new possibilities for McKenna to earn more than any junior team in Canada is willing to pay him.
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