MAPLE LEAFS SELECT GAVIN MCKENNA WITH FIRST OVERALL PICK

Picking at No. 1 for the third time in franchise history and first since 2016, the Maple Leafs made left wing Gavin McKenna of Penn State University the top pick in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft. Global superstar Justin Bieber – a Maple Leafs fan and friend of captain Auston Matthews – was on hand to call McKenna’s name in Buffalo, at the same arena Matthews was selected a decade ago when Toronto last had the No. 1 pick.

• McKenna became the first player out of Penn State to be selected first overall in the NHL Draft and the fifth from the NCAA ever to be taken with the No. 1 pick – with three of those coming in the past six. He is coming off a season in which he finished fifth in NCAA scoring with 15-36—51 (35 GP) and became the first Nittany Lion to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
• McKenna (Whitehorse, Yukon) became the highest-selected player out of Canada’s Yukon Territory with Dylan Cozens (No. 7 in 2019) the only other player in that category who has been selected in the opening round.
• A member of Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin First Nation, McKenna became the first known Indigenous player selected first overall in nearly 50 years. McKenna made 2026 the third straight NHL Draft to see an Indigenous player selected in Round 1. His draft suit paid homage to his Indigenous heritage.

STENBERG LEADS HISTORIC SWEDISH SURGE

Ivar Stenberg (Stockholm, Sweden) was selected with the No. 2 pick by the Sharks, triggering a historic night for his country, and became the seventh Swedish-born player to be selected among the top two in the NHL Draft – a new Pacific Division rival Leo Carlsson (No. 2 in 2023 by ANA) was the last before him.

• Stenberg had 11-22—33 with Frolunda in 2025-26 – the fifth-best SHL season ever by a player age 18 or younger – and joined his brother Otto Stenberg (No. 25 in 2023 by STL) as a first-round pick in the NHL Draft. They are the fourth set of Swedish brothers to both be selected in Round 1 of the NHL Draft, following Daniel Sedin (No. 2 in 1999) and Henrik Sedin (No. 3 in 1999), William Nylander (No. 8 in 2014) and Alex Nylander (No. 8 in 2016) as well as William Eklund (No. 7 in 2021) and Victor Eklund (No. 16 in 2025). Of note, the Nylander brothers were both born in Canada, but are Swedish nationals who represent their country in international competition.
• A record seven Swedish-born players entered the NHL on Friday – the most ever in Round 1 – with Viggo Bjorck (No. 8 by WPG), Alexander Command (No. 12 by NJD), Malte Gustafsson (No. 13 by NYI), Elton Hermansson (No. 19 by LAK), Jonas Lagerberg Hoen (No. 25 by OTT) and Marcus Nordmark (No. 28 by ANA) following Stenberg.
• It also marked the second time that four Swedish-born players were selected among the top 15 picks in an NHL Draft, following the 2011 class of Gabriel Landeskog (No. 2 by COL), Adam Larsson (No. 4 by NJD), Mika Zibanejad (No. 6 by OTT) and Jonas Brodin (No. 10 by MIN).

MORE ON ROUND 1

• Round 1 by position: 10 defensemen, 8 left wings, 8 centers and six right wings.
• Round 1 Picks by League: OHL (7), WHL (5), NCAA (5), SWEDEN (3), SWEDEN-JR. (3), QMJHL (2), USHL (2), FINLAND (2), GERMANY (1), RUSSIA-JR. (1) and SWEDEN-2 (1).
• Round 1 Picks By Birth Country: Canada (10), Sweden (7), United States (7), Finland (3), Kazakhstan (2), Czechia (1), Latvia (1) and Russia (1).
• The Rangers made a splash on multiple fronts Friday – they chose Alberts Smits (Valmiera, Latvia) at No. 5 to make him the highest-selected Latvian player in NHL Draft history, displacing Zemgus Girgensens (No. 14 in 2012 by BUF), and acquired Pavel Dorofeyev from the Golden Knights. Dorofeyev ranked second in the NHL with 12 goals during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Smits’ historic selection capped a season in which he hit an international trifecta by representing Latvia at the World Junior Championship, Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 and the World Championship.
• For the first time in a quarter-century, a player born in Kazakhstan was picked in the opening round of the NHL Draft with Gleb Pugachyov going at No. 26 (MTL) followed immediately after by Maksim Sokolovskii at No. 27 (PHI) – marking the first time in NHL Draft history that multiple Kazakhstan-born players were selected in the same first round. Overall, only five players born in that country have been first-round picks in the NHL Draft, with Pugachyov and Sokolovskii joining Alexander Perezhogin (No. 25 in 2001 by MTL), Pavel Vorobiev (No. 11 in 2000 by CHI) and Nik Antropov (No. 10 in 1998 by TOR).
• A total of 15 players born outside North America were selected Friday, tied with 1999 and 2018 for the third-highest total in Round 1 in NHL Draft history behind the 17 in 2022 and 16 in 2000.
• The Sharks led all teams with three selections in Round 1, adding Ivar Stenberg (No. 2) and Keaton Verhoeff (No. 9) before trading up to select Ryan Lin (No. 21) – marking the first time the club has made three picks in the opening round and second time they made a pair of top-10 selections. San Jose also became the first team in more than a dozen years to make a top-two selection in three straight drafts.
• A contingent of seven U.S.-born players were selected Friday, led by Chase Reid (Pontiac, Mich.) who went at No. 7 to the Kraken, which was the most since 2021 (8). Jaxon Cover (No. 32 by OTT), who rounded out the group of Americans, was born in Florida but only lived there a month before moving to the Grand Cayman Islands where he spent his childhood. He began his ice hockey journey on roller skates, started attending skating camps at age 10 in Toronto, did not go to his first ice hockey tryout until he was 13 and did not play competitively until he was 14.

Get To Know: Jaxon Cover

• The NCAA circuit had a strong night with five first-round picks, tied with 2025 and 2002 for the third most in an opening round behind 2003 (7) and 2000 (6).
• For a third straight year, at least four of the top six picks in the NHL Draft were Canadian-born (5 of 6 in 2025 & 4 of 6 in 2024). Before that, the last such occurrence was in 2014 (5 of 6).
• A total of 10 defensemen were selected including four in a row from pick Nos. 4-7 – the first time since 2012 that there was a run of four straight blueliners picked among the top 10 in the NHL Draft. Half of the top 10 picks Friday were blueliners, also a first since 2012 when a record eight of the top 10 were defensemen.
• Four players were selected in the first round with fathers who also played in the NHL: Caleb Malhotra (No. 3) was picked by the Canucks, the team his father, Manny Malhotra, both played for and is the current head coach of; Wyatt Cullen (No. 10) was selected by the Predators, the team his father, Matt Cullen, played 139 games for and defeated in the 2017 Stanley Cup Final; Maddox Dagenais (No. 16 by STL), whose father, Pierre Dagenais, played for the Devils, Panthers and Canadiens; and Marcus Nordmark (No. 28 by ANA), whose father Robert Nordmark patrolled the blueline for 236 NHL games with the Blues and Canucks.
• Other moments from the opening round included Bill Guerin becoming the first in Wild history to claim the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award; Blackstone Valley high school, who have been at the forefront of hockey consciousness since a tragic shooting on Feb. 16, handing out jerseys after prospects were drafted; country music star Luke Bryan, who announced Nashville’s selection of Wyatt Cullen, who was once a kid on the ice in a Predators jersey beside his dad, hours before playing a concert in Buffalo; and Spencer Moore, a Canucks for Kids Fund beneficiary with pondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, announcing Vancouver’s selection of Adam Novotny with the 24th overall pick.

TRADE WINDS WERE BLOWING ON DRAFT DAY

After a busy week of trade action, there were 13 more trades Friday – including nine announced during the draft – which marked the most on Day 1 of a two-day draft since 2008 when there were 14. Each of the nine deals announced from the draft floor:

• The Bruins acquired forward JJ Peterka from the Mammoth for a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft (No. 23) and a first-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.
• The Rangers acquired forward Pavel Dorofeyev from the Golden Knights for a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft (No. 26), a third-round pick in 2026 (No. 92) and a conditional first-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.
• The Blues acquired forward Mason McTavish from the Ducks for two first-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft (Nos. 15 & 29).
• The Mammoth acquired a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft (No. 17) from the Kings for a first-round pick in 2026 (No. 19) and a third-round pick in 2026 (No. 83).
• The Sharks acquired a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft (No. 21) from the Flyers for a first-round pick in 2026 (No. 27), a second-round pick in 2026 (No. 62) and a fourth-round pick in 2026 (No. 120).
• The Mammoth acquired goaltender Sebastian Cossa from the Red Wings for a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft (No. 23).
• The Canadiens acquired a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft (No. 26) from the Golden Knights for a first-round pick in 2026 (No. 28) and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
• The Ducks acquired a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft (No. 28) from the Golden Knights for a first-round pick in 2026 (No. 29) and a fourth-round pick in 2026 (No. 117).
• The Predators acquired a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft (No. 31) from the Hurricanes for two second-round picks in 2026 (Nos. 42 & 57).

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Hockey Hall of Fame Announces 2026 Inductees

Player Category: Patrice Bergeron, Cindy Curley, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, Keith Tkachuk; Builder Category: Brian Burke

Ron Francis, Chair of the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee, announced today that six individuals have been elected to Hockey Hall of Fame Honoured Membership, in both the Player and Builder Category. The vote took place today at the annual meeting of the Selection Committee in Toronto.

“The Hockey Hall of Fame is proud to welcome these hockey legends as Honoured Members,” said Francis. “Their contributions to the game of hockey are well documented and their election to the Hockey Hall of Fame is richly deserved.”

In the Builder Category, one individual was elected.

A native of Providence, Rhode Island, Brian Burke began his NHL management career in 1987 as Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations for the Vancouver Canucks. In 1992, Brian moved to the Hartford Whalers as General Manager before moving to the NHL Head Office as SVP and Director of Hockey Operations in 1993. In 1998, he was named President and GM of the Vancouver Canucks. In 2005, Brian became EVP of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and led the team to a Stanley Cup win in 2007. Burke later assumed team President roles with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Calgary Flames and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“I am grateful to all of the people who helped me throughout my career,” said Burke. “Especially the Big Three – Lou Lamoriello, Pat Quinn and Gary Bettman.”

In the Player Category, five individuals were elected.

Patrice Bergeron played junior hockey in the QMJHL with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and was drafted in the second round (45th overall) by the Boston Bruins in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He joined the Bruins as an 18-year-old rookie the following season (2003-04), playing 19 NHL seasons with the Bruins. Patrice also scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal in 2011. He also played for Team Canada in 2010 and 2014, winning gold medals at both Olympic Games, while also adding a World Championship win in 2004, making him a member of the exclusive Triple Gold Club.

“This honour is the pinnacle of my career and represents the coaches and players that I went to battle with,” said Bergeron. “It’s a surreal honour and I’m thankful that hockey has given so much to me and my family.”

A native of Stow, Massachusetts, Cindy Curley starred with the Providence College Friars and helped them two-peat as NCAA champions in both 1983-84 and 1984-85. At the inaugural 1990 IIHF Women’s Hockey Championships Cindy was part of the United States team that won a Silver medal and continued as team captain until 1996. During her time with the U.S. Women’s team, Curley won two more silver medals – in 1992 and 1994.

“I’m shocked and grateful to receive this award, especially given how many great players have played the game,” said Curley. “So many people are responsible for the growth of women’s hockey, and I am humbled to benefit from their efforts.”

A native of Vancouver, B.C., Carey Price played his Junior hockey with the Tri-City Americans, where he was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round (5th overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Price made his debut with the Canadiens at the beginning of the 2007-08 NHL season and went on to play 15 seasons with the Habs. The Canadiens’ all-time goaltending leader with 712 games and 361 victories, Carey also backstopped the team to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020-21.

“Hockey has taught me a lot of life lessons, especially persistence and never giving up,” said Price. “The game has given me the opportunity to work with dedicated and talented people, and I’m especially grateful to live a dream playing my entire career in Montreal.”

Born in Kempele, Finland on November 3rd, 1982, Pekka Rinne played in the Finnish Elite League before being drafted by the Nashville Predators and moving to North America for the 2005-06 hockey season. Pekka went on to play 15 seasons with the Predators winning 369 games and recording 60 shutouts and won the Vezina Trophy in 2017-18. On the international front, he represented Finland at four IIHF World Championships, winning MVP honours in 2014.

“The honour represents me and all of the members of the Nashville Predators organization,” said Rinne. “It’s surreal to think I will be joining my teammate Shea Weber in the Hockey Hall of Fame.”

Keith Tkachuk played his minor hockey in Massachusetts before joining Boston University for the 1990-91 season. He made his NHL debut during the 1991-92 season with the Winnipeg Jets (where he was a first-round selection in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft) after a stint with the United States National Team. In 1996-97 Keith became the first U.S. born player to lead the NHL in goals with 52.

“I was blessed to play in the greatest sports league in the world,” said Tkachuk. “Through good times and bad times, it was always the best experience imaginable.”

The 2026 Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration is scheduled on Monday, November 9, in Toronto preceded by the traditional slate of “Induction Weekend” events beginning on Saturday, November 7, including the annual “Hockey Hall of Fame Game” hosted by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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TORONTO MARLIES WIN 2026 CALDER CUP

The Toronto Marlies are the 2026 American Hockey League Calder Cup Champions following this evening’s 4-3 victory over the Chicago Wolves. This marks the second championship for the franchise following their victory in 2018. The Marlies emerged league champions after completing the series 4-1, winning the title in front of a sold-out Coca-Cola Coliseum.

This evening, the AHL awarded Artur Akhtyamov the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy, honouring the goaltender as the most valuable player of the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Kazan, Russia native made his NHL debut on December 13, 2025 with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was selected by the Maple Leafs in the fourth round (106th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.

Toronto accomplished another franchise milestone with its victory, becoming only the sixth team in league history to become champions after winning as many as four elimination games during the Calder Cup Playoffs. This series marks the Marlies’ third appearance in the Calder Cup Finals and second championship, including in 2012 with a 0-4 series loss to the Norfolk Admirals, in 2018 with a 4-3 series win against the Texas Stars and now 2026 following the 4-1 series win against the Chicago Wolves.

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Order of Selection for the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft

The National Hockey League has announced the current order of selection for the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

The 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft will take place over two days: Round 1 will be held on Friday, June 26 at 7 p.m. ET, followed by Rounds 2-7 on Saturday, June 27 at 11 a.m. ET.

Round 1

1. Toronto
2. San Jose
3. Vancouver
4. Chicago
5. NY Rangers
6. Calgary
7. Seattle
8. Winnipeg
9. Florida
10. Nashville
11. St. Louis
12. New Jersey
13. NY Islanders
14. Columbus
15. St. Louis (from DET)
16. Washington
17. Los Angeles
18. Washington (from ANA)
19. Utah
20. Buffalo (from EDM via SJS)
21. Philadelphia
22. Pittsburgh
23. Boston
24. Vancouver (from MIN)
25. Seattle (from TBL)
26. NY Rangers (from DAL via CAR)
27. San Jose (from BUF)
28. Montreal
29. St. Louis (from COL via NYI)
30. Calgary (from VGK)
31. Carolina
32. Ottawa

Round 2

33. Vancouver
34. Chicago
35. Calgary (from NYR via UTA)
36. Calgary
37. Chicago (from TOR)
38. Seattle
39. Pittsburgh (from WPG)
40. Florida
41. Vancouver (from SJS)
42. Nashville
43. Columbus (from STL via PIT)
44. New Jersey
45. Chicago (from NYI)
46. Los Angeles (from CBJ via MTL)
47. Detroit
48. Florida (from WSH)
49. Los Angeles
50. Anaheim
51. Calgary (from UTA)
52. Edmonton
53. Philadelphia
54. Pittsburgh
55. Calgary (from OTT via UTA)
56. Boston
57. Nashville (from MIN)
58. Tampa Bay
59. Dallas
60. Toronto (from BUF via OTT and LAK)
61. Montreal
62. San Jose (from COL)
63. Forfeited pick
64. NY Rangers (from CAR)

Pick 63 – On May 15, 2026, the NHL announced the Vegas Golden Knights will forfeit a 2nd-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft for flagrant violations of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Media Regulations.

Round 3

65. Calgary (from VAN)
66. Chicago
67. NY Rangers
68. Calgary
69. Toronto
70. Nashville (from SEA via DAL)
71. Winnipeg
72. Ottawa (from FLA)
73. St. Louis (from SJS via PIT and DET)
74. Colorado (from NSH)
75. St. Louis
76. St. Louis (from NJD via NYI)
77. NY Rangers (from NYI)
78. Vancouver (from CBJ)
79. Detroit
80. Los Angeles (from WSH via OTT)
81. NY Rangers (from LAK)
82. Anaheim
83. Utah
84. Edmonton
85. Toronto (from PHI)
86. Pittsburgh
87. Ottawa
88. Boston
89. Minnesota
90. Tampa Bay
91. Ottawa (from DAL via CAR and LAK)
92. NY Rangers (from BUF)
93. Montreal
94. Columbus (from COL via MIN)
95. Vegas
96. Utah (from CAR)

Round 4

97. Vancouver
98. Florida (from CHI)
99. Seattle (from NYR via CBJ)
100. Calgary
101. Columbus (from TOR via MIN)
102. Seattle
103. Montreal (from WPG via NJD)
104. Boston (from FLA via SJS)
105. Carolina (from SJS)
106. Nashville
107. St. Louis
108. New Jersey
109. NY Islanders
110. Ottawa (from CBJ via DET)
111. Boston (from DET via ANA)
112. Washington
113. Los Angeles
114. Toronto (from ANA via SEA)
115. Utah
116. Winnipeg (from EDM via BOS and BUF)
117. Anaheim (from PHI)
118. Nashville (from PIT)
119. Chicago (from OTT)
120. San Jose (from BOS)
121. Minnesota
122. Boston (from TBL)
123. St. Louis (from DAL via NJD)
124. Buffalo
125. Montreal
126. Colorado
127. San Jose (from VGK via WSH)
128. Colorado (from CAR)

Round 5

129. Vancouver
130. Utah (from CHI)
131. NY Rangers
132. Calgary
133. Toronto
134. Tampa Bay (from SEA)
135. Winnipeg
136. Florida
137. Minnesota (from SJS)
138. Nashville
139. St. Louis
140. New Jersey
141. NY Islanders
142. Columbus
143. Detroit
144. Washington
145. Los Angeles
146. Anaheim
147. Utah
148. Nashville (from EDM)
149. Colorado (from PHI)
150. St. Louis (from PIT)
151. Ottawa
152. Colorado (from BOS)
153. Minnesota
154. Tampa Bay
155. Dallas
156. Buffalo
157. Boston (from MTL via SJS)
158. Toronto (from COL)
159. Vegas
160. Nashville (from CAR)

Round 6

161. Vancouver
162. NY Rangers (from CHI via BUF)
163. NY Rangers
164. Calgary
165. Carolina (from TOR)
166. Seattle
167. Winnipeg
168. Florida
169. Toronto (from SJS)
170. Pittsburgh (from NSH)
171. St. Louis
172. New Jersey
173. NY Islanders
174. San Jose (from CBJ via PHI)
175. Detroit
176. Vancouver (from WSH)
177. Los Angeles
178. Anaheim
179. Nashville (from UTA)
180. Edmonton
181. Philadelphia
182. Columbus (from PIT)
183. Ottawa
184. Vancouver (from BOS via MIN)
185. Minnesota
186. Tampa Bay
187. Dallas
188. Buffalo
189. Montreal
190. Los Angeles (from COL via OTT)
191. Vegas
192. Carolina

Round 7

193. NY Rangers (from VAN)
194. Chicago
195. Colorado (from NYR via NSH)
196. Detroit (from CGY)
197. Dallas (from TOR)
198. Seattle
199. Winnipeg
200. Chicago (from FLA)
201. San Jose
202. Nashville
203. St. Louis
204. Seattle (from NJD)
205. NY Islanders
206. Columbus
207. Detroit
208. Washington
209. Los Angeles
210. Anaheim
211. Utah
212. Edmonton
213. Philadelphia
214. Colorado (from PIT)
215. Colorado (from OTT)
216. Boston
217. Florida (from MIN)
218. Tampa Bay
219. Dallas
220. Winnipeg (from BUF)
221. Montreal
222. Colorado
223. Vegas
224. Montreal (from CAR)

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NHL Statement on Mike Babcock

The National Hockey League today released the following statement regarding its investigation of Mike Babcock:

“The League has completed its review of Mike Babcock’s tenure in Columbus, and of certain alleged conduct associated therewith. Our investigation has concluded that, even in a light least favorable to Mr. Babcock, there is no current basis to restrict his employment in the League.”

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