Family a major motivator for McKenna
For Gavin McKenna, the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup offers his family a chance to see him play in person.
A native of Whitehorse, YK., the 16-year-old had a historic year where he was named the CHL and WHL Player of the Year and shattered every Canadian scoring record at the U18 World Championships as he led his country to gold.
And while his home is nearly 2,000 kilometres from Edmonton, AB., – the host city – he’s thrilled to see his family in the stands on a nightly basis.
“Having the opportunity to get to play in front of my family who haven’t watched me in person for a long time is pretty exciting,” McKenna said. “It’s honestly pretty comforting having them in the building just knowing I’ll have someone to talk to in person after the game so to do it for them, it kind of motivates you a little bit.”
The top prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft, McKenna has plenty of eyes on him across the hockey world, and rightfully so. But to cope with that, he leans on his family.
“They’ve helped me a lot and they’re always comforting,” McKenna said. “You have your agents, your teammates, your coaches [too] so I have a lot of resources through all of it and they’ve all done a great job of guiding me through it.
“At the end of the day, it’s just a sport. It’s what you love to do. Pressure is a privilege.”
In November, the CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada will take place where the top first-year NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the CHL’s three member leagues will face off against the USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP) in a two-game series. More details will be made available soon.
