Gavin McKenna’s ‘intense’ Macklin Celebrini take after training session

The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping for big things from Gavin McKenna beginning in 2026-27. The Maple Leafs made McKenna the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft back in June. He is the future of this franchise, and he is looking to learn from the best, including San Jose Sharks star Macklin Celebrini.

McKenna and Celebrini recently took part in the NHLPA Rookie Showcase. This event is put on by the NHLPA to help younger players make the NHL sooner rather than later. These two young stars have also trained together throughout the offseason. It’s been an experience for McKenna, to say the least.

“He’s a pretty intense guy when it comes to his off-ice and on-ice stuff,” the Maple Leafs draft pick said of Celebrini, via NHL.com. “To be in that environment and get into a routine, it felt good. I had a lot of fun, and I felt like I got better.”

There are few young players in the NHL as highly regarded as Celebrini. The Sharks star broke the franchise record for points in a single season in 2025-26. At just 19 years old, he has established himself as one of the very best in the world.

McKenna is trying to reach those heights and believes his time with Celebrini this offseason can help achieve that goal. The pressure is certainly on him as a No. 1 pick for a historic franchise. But the former Penn State star understands the situation ahead of his first NHL season.

“I think obviously everyone talks about the Toronto market, but at the end of the day, I’m just out there playing hockey,” he said. “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.”