Gavin Mckenna, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Nation, has been selected No. 1 during this weekend’s National Hockey League draft. Mckenna was selected first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs at the NHL draft hosted in Buffalo, New York. His name was called by one of the team’s most famous fans, Justin Bieber.
The Leafs have one of the lengthiest championship droughts in the history of North American professional sports. The team has not hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup since 1967, back when there were only six teams in the league. Now there are 32 teams.
Before the draft the 18-year-old was asked by a reporter to explain a beaded pin that he had on his lapel and responded that it was part of he and his family representing Indigenous.
“I’m part of the wolf plan so my sister, she beaded them, obviously two wolves here, the orange is for orange shirt day for every child matters and then the red is for the red dresses of the women who were lost,” Mckenna told ESPN. “My family, they’re all wearing their Native vests and stuff so representing the Native community well today.”
In May, the long-suffering Leafs got a lucky bounce in the NHL Draft lottery where they went in with an 8.5 percent chance of getting the top pick to win that selection.
Mckenna has been the presumptive No. 1 choice for more than a year. He has had a standout junior career and then committed to Penn State and signed the biggest hockey contract in college hockey history.
Mckenna Penn State signed a NIL (name, image, likeness) deal that is believed to be the largest in college hockey history at a reported $700,000.
He represented Canada and the World Junior Hockey Championship at the beginning of the year but the team did not make it to the podium.
In a press conference on the day after the draft, Mckenna was introduced by the team as their latest star.
“I was so excited the whole night and just a lot of energy and then Toronto is a city, it’s an amazing place,” Mckenna said. “They love their sports, they love their hockey team. They’ve got so many passionate fans, so I’m excited.”
Members of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in held a NHL draft watch party in the community and cheered loudly when their local hero’s name was called out.
“We are all so proud of Gavin for the way he has carried himself through this journey, and we know he is ready to step onto the biggest stage in hockey. There is a lot of pressure on young athletes these days, and we’re glad that Gavin will be supported by a close family and strong ties to his First Nation,” Deputy Chief Erin McQuaig told ICT in an email. “Our Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in law — Tr’ëhudè — calls for us to live with integrity, humility, reciprocity, and respect for all living things, and we’re confident that Gavin understands his responsibility to uphold this law. We couldn’t be happier to stand behind Gavin today and every day.”
Mats Sundin, senior director of hockey operations, is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and served as Leafs captain for 10 years. He was also drafted first overall in 1989.
“The most important message or advice I can give to Gavin is to stay true to himself. I think if there’s anything that is different in Toronto, to all of the other markets, it’s just the size of the fanbase and interests from the city,” said Sundin. “It is the hockey capital of the world but at the end of the day it’s a game. It’s a game of hockey … he’s gonna have a great career.”
Soon after the Leafs found out that they had the No. 1 pick, members of the executive travelled to Whitehorse, Yukon, to meet with the Mckenna family.
John Chayka, general manager of the team, made that trip arriving near midnight with the sun still in the sky.
“It was great, honestly a beautiful place. I can tell why Gavin enjoys being there. With everything going on in the world right now there’s few places like that where you can be with nature and enjoy it,” said Chayka. “Probably spent, I don’t four or five hours with his family just talking about Gavin and his upbringing and [what] makes him tick and answer any questions we could.”
Chayka said the team did its due diligence as the significance of a number one pick can change the fortunes of a franchise.
“With picks like this I’ve said it before like it’s not just about getting the first pick it’s what you do with it that can be franchise altering,” Chayka said. “So yeah, just as we went through that process and evaluated everything we did, we had time so we used it and vetted everything.”
The news was greeted by many Indigenous peoples as an incredible accomplishment.
