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Leafs’ No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna signs entry-level contract

By Thomson Reuters Jul 3, 2026 | 6:07 PM

One week after picking him first overall in the NHL draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed ​Gavin McKenna to his three-year ‌entry-level contract on Friday.

Toronto paid McKenna the maximum allowed salary under the collective bargaining agreement.

Starting this year, the maximum compensation for ‌entry-level ​deals is $1.025 million ⁠in Year 1, $1.075 million ⁠in Year 2 and $1.125 million in Year 3.

Per The Athletic, McKenna is also eligible to receive up ​to $1 million in Schedule A bonuses and $2.5 million in Schedule B ⁠bonuses each season. Both ⁠are tied to performance targets ​or recognition like All-Star selections and ​postseason awards.

McKenna, 18, was widely expected to ‌be the top pick after a standout freshman season at Penn State, where he played left wing ⁠and tallied 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) in 35 games. McKenna also played for Team ⁠Canada ‌in the World Junior Championships, ⁠when he notched 14 points (four ​goals, ‌10 assists) in seven ​games for ⁠the bronze medalists.

A native of Whitehorse, Yukon, McKenna was the third No. 1 overall pick in Maple Leafs history after Wendel Clark (1985) and Auston Matthews (2016).

–Field ​Level Media