Penn State star Gavin McKenna was the first to hear his name read (or, more accurately, announced by Justin Bieber) in the 2026 NHL Draft, and he didn’t waste any time getting familiar with his new city.
And what better way to get used to the pressure that comes with playing for the Leafs than by tackling one of the most weirdly high-pressure scenarios in all of sports?
That’s right, he threw out the first pitch at a Blue Jays game.
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Not even 24 hours after throwing on a Leafs sweater, McKenna was at Rogers Centre, where he went out to the mound to a huge ovation from the Toronto fans.
He wound up and delivered what is still technically a pitch, even if it looked like he was trying to hit the top of the CN Tower with it.
I’ve watched and analyzed many a first pitch in my day, and I think I know what happened.
The last thing you want with a first pitch is not getting it across the plate. That’s just embarrassing.
What I would do is put a little too much muscle behind my pitch just to make sure that it gets over the plate without any question. Control is secondary.
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I suspect this is what happened to Gavin McKenna.
And don’t think for a second he didn’t realize that it was an underwhelming first pitch performance. He knew.
“It was a tough throw,” he said. “Wasn’t proud of that.”
Hey, no harm, no foul. That’s why he plays hockey.
And, boy, can he play hockey.
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McKenna was the top dog in the 2026 draft class for several years, and his one solid season at Penn State just solidified that.
That’s good, though, as he’s no stranger to pressure, and will be expected to help turn around a Maple Leafs team that was a mess last season.
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