The NHL will bring its annual draft to Buffalo in June, with top prospect Gavin McKenna expected to headline the event, according to multiple reports.
The league is set to make the announcement Monday night in Buffalo ahead of the Sabres’ game against the Florida Panthers, with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman scheduled to attend a news conference.
The draft will take place June 26–27 and will again use a decentralized format. Prospects and their families will attend in person, while team executives remain in their home markets to make selections. The event will be held at KeyBank Center, marking a change from last year’s draft, which took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Buffalo is no stranger to major NHL events. The city has hosted the league’s predraft combine since 2015 and will welcome top prospects again this spring. This will be the fourth time the Sabres have hosted the draft, most recently in 2016 when Auston Matthews was selected first overall by Toronto.
Much of the attention in June is expected to center on McKenna, a Penn State freshman forward widely projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The 18-year-old from Whitehorse, Yukon, left the Canadian Hockey League last offseason after more than two seasons with Medicine Hat, becoming one of the first high-profile players to move to the NCAA following the rule change allowing CHL players to compete in college hockey.
McKenna has continued to build his reputation as a generational talent. He has recorded four goals and 15 assists for 19 points in 18 games with Penn State, ranks among the top freshmen nationally, and helped Canada win bronze at the World Junior Championship, finishing second on the team with 10 points in seven games.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.