Gavin McKenna scored a hat trick for Canada against Denmark in Monday's world juniors action. But his third goal stood out as a highlight-reel play.
NHL draft prospect Gavin McKenna got his first three goals of the 2026 world juniors on Monday against Denmark.
Although the goals came in a blowout 9-1 win over the Danes, the one that completed the hat trick stood out above the rest.
With the score at 6-1 for Canada nearly six minutes into the third period, Montreal Canadiens prospect Michael Hage fed McKenna a cross-ice pass in the neutral zone. The puck slid past Denmark defenseman Viggo Damgaard and found McKenna as he entered the offensive zone.
McKenna made a fake move on his forehand, causing goaltender Patrick Tiedjen to hesitate slightly. That allowed McKenna to bring the puck to his backhand, get past Tiedjen, then slide the puck in on his forehand as he passed the net.
"Those hands, oh my goodness," TSN color commentator Mike Johnson said on Canada's TV broadcast. "That is preposterous.
"Gavin McKenna, that is sweetness."
McKenna, 18, entered the game without a goal in wins over Czechia and Latvia, although he did have four assists.
He scored three minutes into the first period, playing catch-and-release on a pass from Hage to beat Tiedjen from the faceoff dot.
McKenna also nearly scored at the end of the first period, turning and shooting on a nearly wide-open net but skying it. Calgary Flames prospect Zayne Parekh, who scored earlier in the frame, laughed at him as the team left the ice.
But McKenna scored another snapshot from the faceoff dot in the second period before adding his highlight-reel play in the third period.
He now has seven points in three games as the Canadians will battle Finland at 8:30 p.m. ET on New Year's Eve for the top spot in Group B.
World Juniors 2026: McKenna, Stenberg Headline NHL Draft Eligibles
The potential top three picks of the 2026 NHL draft will be on display for Canada and Sweden at the world juniors. But there are more draft-eligible prospects beyond them at the U-20 tournament.
Entering this season, McKenna was widely regarded as the No. 1 prospect eligible for the 2026 NHL draft. But after he switched to NCAA Penn State from WHL Medicine Hat, his play hasn't been as dominant as experts expected in college hockey, with 18 points in 16 games. Part of the concern is that he's relying on the power play for much of his production instead of at even strength.
That's led him to fall to second or third in some draft rankings, including third place on Tony Ferrari's pre-world juniors rankings, although he's still the popular pick at No. 1.
While the World Junior Championship is a small part of the bigger picture for NHL draft prospects such as McKenna, he's becoming a mainstay on the scoresheet after three games in the U-20 tournament. Whether it increases his stock to make him the undisputed projected first overall pick again remains to be seen.
Top photo by Allison Kennedy Davies
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