Maple Leafs projected first-overall pick attends Toronto FIFA World Cup match

The Toronto Maple Leafs haven't selected Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick in the NHL Draft just yet, but the projected top pick is already getting a taste of life in the city.

On Tuesday night, McKenna attended the FIFA World Cup match between Croatia and Panama, sharing a photo from Toronto Stadium on his Instagram story.

The 18-year-old posted a golden-hour shot from his seat and, despite not officially being a Leaf yet, geotagged the stadium like a true Torontonian — calling it BMO Stadium.

The venue's official name during the tournament is Toronto Stadium, with FIFA temporarily removing BMO's corporate branding for the duration of the World Cup.

The projected NHL first-overall pick in this year’s draft, Gavin McKenna, got a little taste of the Toronto sports atmosphere tonight 👀

The @MapleLeafs have the chance to pick him on Friday.#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/ur4OxBeLse

— Marley Dickinson (@marleydickinson) June 24, 2026

McKenna appeared to have excellent seats for the match, sitting just behind the Panama bench for what was Croatian captain Luka Modrić's 200th international appearance.

Earlier in the day, the Whitehorse, Yukon, native was also spotted in the Toronto area, appearing to take part in what looked like a promotional shoot for Cwench Hydration in Etobicoke.

McKenna is widely expected to be selected by the Maple Leafs with the first overall pick in Friday's NHL Draft, although plenty can happen before then.

Gavin McKenna isn’t officially a Maple Leaf yet, but the kid just gets it. The pressure, the expectations, but also the privilege that comes with wearing the blue and white leaf.

“It would be super cool (getting drafted by the Maple Leafs) being a Canadian kid in one of the… pic.twitter.com/qRsMJFAHOj

— Leafslatest (@Leafslatest) June 23, 2026

This past season, McKenna put up 51 points in 35 games playing for Penn State University in the NCAA.

He previously played for the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League, where he put up a ridiculous 244 points in 133 games.

Croatia got the better of Panama on Tuesday, securing three points in a tightly contested Group L, setting up a winner-moves-on match against Ghana in their final group-stage match on June 27.