The first round of the 2026 National Hockey League Draft took place on Friday in Buffalo, New York and 10 Canadians were selected. Left winger Gavin McKenna of Whitehorse, Yukon was drafted first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
McKenna becomes only the second player ever from the Yukon selected in the first round of the NHL Draft. The other was centre Dylan Cozens of Whitehorse, who was selected seventh overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2019. McKenna had 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points this past season for Penn State in 35 games in 2025-26, after having a remarkable junior career with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League. McKenna led the Canadian Hockey League with 88 assists during the 2024-25 season.
Two Canadian teams selected a Canadian in the first round. The Vancouver Canucks selected Caleb Malhotra of Victoria, British Columbia, third overall. Malholtra played his junior hockey with the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League, and is the son of Canucks head coach Manny Malholtra of Mississauga, Ontario. Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames selected defenseman Carson Carels of Cypress River, Manitoba fifth overall. Carels played for the University of North Dakota this past season.
The other seven Canadians drafted in the first round were Prince Albert Raiders defenseman Daxon Rudolph of Lacombe, Alberta (fourth overall by the Buffalo Sabres), North Dakota defenseman Keaton Verhoeff of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta (ninth overall by the San Jose Sharks), Boston University centre Tynan Lawrence of Fredericton, New Brunswick (11th overall by the St. Louis Blues), Quebec Remparts centre Maddox Dagenais of Montreal, Quebec (16th overall by the Blues), Windsor Spitfires left winger Ethan Belchetz of Oakville, Ontario (17th overall by the Utah Mammoth), Vancouver Giants defenseman Ryan Lin of Richmond, British Columbia (21st overall by the Sharks), and Medicine Hat Tigers right winger Liam Ruck of Osoyoos, British Columbia (22nd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins).
