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McKenna Goes First, and Thirteen Czechs Hear Their Names at the 2026 NHL Draft
Canadian forward Gavin McKenna was the consensus No. 1 pick to Toronto, while a record-tying thirteen Czech players were drafted — led by a wave of goaltenders.
> Some details in this post are based on limited reporting and not independently verified.
The 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo opened as expected: Canadian forward Gavin McKenna went first overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Penn State product is the fourth straight Canadian to top the draft, following Connor Bedard (2023, Chicago), Macklin Celebrini (2024, San Jose) and Matthew Schaefer (2025, Islanders).
Behind him, Sweden's Ivar Stenberg landed second with San Jose, and Caleb Malhotra went third to Vancouver. The Canucks weren't done — at 24th overall they made Adam Novotný the only Czech selected in the first round, extending a streak of five consecutive years with a Czech taken on day one.
Novotný leads the Czech contingent
A native of Hradec Králové, Novotný spent this season with the OHL's Peterborough Petes, posting 65 points (34 goals, 31 assists) in 58 games. He added a silver medal at the World Junior Championship, where he recorded three assists in seven games. Vancouver, run by GM Ryan Johnson, paired him with Malhotra, an 18-year-old who put up 84 points in 67 games for the Brantford Bulldogs.
A goaltending haul
Thirteen Czechs were drafted in all — tying the country's highest total in 21 years and matching its 2024 class. Remarkably, six of them were goaltenders. Tobias Trejbal was the first netminder off the board at 42nd to Calgary, followed by Martin Psohlavec at 62nd to Philadelphia. Psohlavec, a 6-foot-5 prospect ranked 17th among international goalies by NHL Central Scouting, posted a 1.92 goals-against average, .928 save percentage and eight shutouts in 42 junior games with Karlovy Vary.
There was also a long-awaited moment for defenseman Tomáš Galvas, taken 54th overall by Pittsburgh after years on the draft radar.
The Czechia haul with thirteen of its own. For Czech hockey, it marked a third strong draft in a row — this time built largely on the strength of its goaltenders.