The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Gavin McKenna, the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft, to a three-year entry-level contract, the club announced Friday. The per-season salary cap hit is $1.075 million US, according to puckpedia.com, with performance bonuses that can reach up to $3.5 million per season.
Quick Signing After Draft
The signing came nearly a week after the Leafs selected McKenna, 18, first overall. The Whitehorse, Yukon, native has already made a strong impression at the team's development camp at the Ford Performance Centre in Etobicoke, which concludes Saturday with a scrimmage.
McKenna's parents, Willy and Krystal, attended camp this week. The Leafs posted on X a photo of McKenna signing his contract, along with one featuring his parents.
Early Impressions at Camp
McKenna has turned heads with his skill and poise. Forward Tyler Hopkins, a third-round pick by the Leafs in 2025, praised McKenna's abilities. "I've grown up playing against him, whether it's in Team Canada events or playing with him at them as well," Hopkins said. "He's always been one of the best players, if not the best player, on the ice pretty consistently. It's pretty special to have him here with all of us. You see the stuff he can do with the puck. You try to take those little pieces that he can do and try to implement it into your game. Just the control that he has with the puck and always making players go one way, and when he is going the other, he is so deceptive, whether he is going to pass or shoot or whatever he is doing with the puck. He's a very special player."
Contract Details
The entry-level contract carries a base cap hit of $1.075 million per season, with performance bonuses that can increase McKenna's actual earnings. The maximum bonus value is $3.5 million per year. The deal locks in the highly touted prospect as the Leafs continue their rebuild.
