Top 2026 NHL Draft prospect McKenna named Tempo WHL Player of the Week

Calgary, Alta. – Medicine Hat Tigers alternate captain Gavin McKenna has been named Tempo WHL Player of the Week for the week ending Sunday, February 23, 2025, the Western Hockey League announced Monday.

This is the second time McKenna has won the weekly award this season, in addition to Player of the Month honours for January 2025 and September/October 2024.

McKenna dominated with three goals and six assists for nine points in four games.

The top 2026 NHL Draft prospect also extended his jaw-dropping point streak to 35 games, tying Connor Bedard (Regina Pats) and Logan Stankoven (Kamloops Blazers) for the longest WHL point streak in the internet era (1996-present).

McKenna kicked off the week with a playoff-clinching 5-1 win over the Highway 3 rival Lethbridge Hurricanes. He spearheaded a clutch passing sequence on one of the league’s top powerplays by teeing up Minnesota Wild prospect Ryder Ritchie for his 22^nd goal of the season. McKenna struck twine himself on the man-advantage late in the third period with a five-hole shot. He was named third star of the night with a one-goal, one-assist effort.

Medicine Hat saw its five-game point streak come to a close in a narrow 5-4 loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings on February 21, but McKenna still found the scoresheet with a pair of assists and another third-star recognition.

The Tabbies roared back with a 5-0 shutout of the Kamloops Blazers the following night, with McKenna dishing one of the most stunning assists of the season. The 6-foot, 165-pound winger streaked into the Blazers zone before putting on the breaks and tucking a no-look backhand pass around a defenceman for Hunter St. Martin. The Florida Panthers prospect promptly buries Medicine Hat’s fourth goal of the match McKenna was named third star for a third straight game with two helpers.

Yeah, top 2026 #NHLDraft prospect Gavin McKenna is pretty good. 🤷‍♂️

Oh, and he has 103 points in just 50 games in @TheWHL this season.

(🎥: @tigershockey) pic.twitter.com/O0aO1XP6dZ

— NHL (@NHL) February 23, 2025

Medicine Hat closed out the week by getting some revenge in a 5-3 victory against the Oil Kings. With Edmonton leading 3-1 in the second period, McKenna kickstarted the Tigers’ comeback by batting the puck into a wide-open net after a chaotic sequence on a Medicine Hat powerplay. He kicked off the third period with a secondary assist on St. Martin’s equalizer and scored the game-winning goal with a backhander off the rush and closed the night with two goals and an assist.

The Whitehorse, Yukon product is second in the WHL scoring race with 106 points (32G-74A) in 51 contests and leads all skaters in assists.

He’s surpassed 100 points for the first time after potting 97 (34G-63A) in his historic rookie season with the Tigers.

Since being selected by Medicine Hat with the first overall pick in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft, McKenna has emerged as a junior hockey phenom.

He was crowned the 2024 winner of the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as WHL Rookie of the Year after setting a franchise record for points by a 16-year-old.

The 17-year-old has amassed 70 goals and 151 assists for 221 points in 128 regular season games. He’s the third-fastest player in modern WHL history to hit 200 points after reaching the milestone in just 118 games.

McKenna has become a fixture on Canada’s national teams, setting a new mark for points by a Canadian (20) at the IIHF U18 World Championship during a gold-medal run in 2024. He also won gold at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and was the youngest player on Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.

The Tigers star now turns his attention to locking down a Central Division title and clinching first in the Eastern Conference with 18 games remaining in the regular season.

Medicine Hat (39-17-3-1) heads east to visit the Regina Pats (15-35-5-2) on Friday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m. ST.

 

2024-25 Tempo WHL Player of the Week
September 23, 2024: Roger McQueen, Brandon Wheat Kings
September 30, 2024: Nathan Behm, Kamloops Blazers
October 7, 2024: Shea Van Olm, Spokane Chiefs
October 15, 2024: Mazden Leslie, Vancouver Giants
October 21, 2024: Ben Kindel, Calgary Hitmen
October 28, 2024: Nathan Behm, Kamloops Blazers
November 4, 2024: Brady Birnie, Swift Current Broncos
November 11, 2024: Koehn Ziemmer, Prince George Cougars (Los Angeles Kings)
November 18, 2024: Tomas Mrsic, Prince Albert Raiders (St. Louis Blues)
November 25, 2024: Andrew Cristall, Kelowna Rockets (Washington Capitals)
December 2, 2024: Gavin McKenna, Medicine Hat Tigers
December 9, 2024: Tyson Jugnauth, Portland Winterhawks (Seattle Kraken)
December 16, 2024: Gracyn Sawchyn, Edmonton Oil Kings (Florida Panthers)
December 23, 2024: Rilen Kovacevic, Moose Jaw Warriors
December 30, 2024: Landon DuPont, Everett Silvertips
January 6, 2025: Evan Friesen, Wenatchee Wild
January 13, 2025: Andrew Cristall, Spokane Chiefs (Washington Capitals)
January 20, 2025: Berkly Catton, Spokane Chiefs (Seattle Kraken)
January 27, 2025: Quinn Mantei, Brandon Wheat Kings
February 3, 2025: Andrew Cristall, Spokane Chiefs (Washington Capitals)
February 10, 2025: Cole Reschny, Victoria Royals
February 18, 2025: Berkly Catton, Spokane Chiefs (Seattle Kraken)

About the Western Hockey League

Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL offers a world-class player experience featuring three key cornerstones: hockey development, education, and a safe and positive environment for all participants. A diverse and inclusive organization, the WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 16 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for close to 60 years. The WHL is also a leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.

 

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