- Gavin McKenna is on Toronto’s Prospect Challenge roster and makes his Maple Leafs debut Saturday
- The Leafs face Ottawa on Saturday and Winnipeg on Sunday in Gatineau
- Read below for the full roster breakdown and what McKenna has said about playing in Toronto
Maple Leafs fans do not have to wait for preseason to see Gavin McKenna in blue and white.
Toronto released its roster for the 2026 NHL Prospect Challenge on Thursday, and the first overall pick from this year’s draft is on it. McKenna will make his Maple Leafs debut Saturday against the Ottawa Senators at 6 p.m. ET.
The Leafs play again Sunday against the Winnipeg Jets at 1 p.m. ET. Montreal rounds out the four-team field at Centre Slush Puppie in Gatineau, Quebec, with Ottawa hosting.
Here’s the group the Leafs are sending across the river:
Fifteen forwards, eight defensemen and three goalies made the trip. Five members of the 2026 draft class are along for it, with Alexander Bilecki, Brody Pepoy, Patriks Plumins and Cooper Williams joining McKenna.
Ben Danford, Tinus Luc Koblar and Harry Nansi headline the rest of the prospect pool on hand.
Whether McKenna would suit up at all was an open question earlier in the week. His plans for the tournament were still unsettled, and training camp shaped up as the first real look at him.
McKenna was asked back in July about the attention that comes with being the No. 1 pick in a market like Toronto.
“I think obviously everyone talks about the Toronto market, but at the end of the day, I’m just out there playing hockey. To have that opportunity to get drafted to a market like that is pretty special. But for me, I just try not to think about it, try to block out all the noise and play the game I love playing.”
Watch him handle the same kind of questions at Leafs development camp in July:
The 18-year-old put up 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) in 35 games as a Penn State freshman last season, which tied for fifth among all NCAA players and made him a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.
He was even better in international play. McKenna piled up 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in seven games at the 2026 World Juniors, second among every player in the tournament, and helped Canada take bronze.
The Whitehorse, Yukon native was voted No. 1 in NHL.com’s top prospect rankings for the coming season.
Ottawa has its own rookies ready to go as tournament host:
Puck drop is Saturday at 6 p.m. ET, and McKenna’s first shift in a Maple Leafs sweater comes with it.
