OTTAWA -- Gavin McKenna knows it will be difficult to follow in the footsteps of the last two 17-year-old players who wore the uniform of Canada's junior team.
But if anyone is capable of measuring up to Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, it's him.
The Medicine Hat Tigers forward, who has been projected as the potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, is tearing up the Western Hockey League with 19 goals and 60 points in 30 games. He is the most productive of the 19 forwards invited to Canada's selection camp in Ottawa this week.
"They set the bar pretty high, but obviously that's the goal, to work towards those guys," McKenna said of Bedard and Celebrini, "They're so talented, and they're so early on in their careers, and they've already proven themselves to be such talented players. So to kind of follow in their footsteps, hopefully, that would be pretty cool.
"It's an honor to be invited to a camp like this. It's been a dream of mine since I was a kid. But the job's not finished. I've got to prove myself and work for a spot on this team. So that's what I'm going to keep working towards."
It was unlikely that Hockey Canada's executives would have passed up such a talent for the 2025 World Junior Championship after the team's fifth-place finish last year -- a roster that was short on difference makers.
"Gavin's an elite player" vice president of hockey operations Scott Salmond said. "Obviously, he's got incredible talent. He's an elite skilled player. He's got vision and talent and skill, and I think he's a player that can contribute up and down your lineup. I think he gets a lot of attributes because of his offensive ability, but he's a kid who's committed on both sides of the puck as well."
With that kind of praise right from the start of camp, all indications are that there are high expectations for the Yukon native, who turns 17 on Dec. 20. "And it's a good thing for him that the recent performances of Bedard and Celebrini have paved a path.
Each was by far the best player on the Canadian team as a 17-year-old.
Bedard shattered a number of records while leading Canada to a gold medal in 2023 with nine goals and 23 points in seven games. Celebrini, though not as much of a standout with four goals and eight points in five games, was Canada's leading scorer last year.
Should expectations be tempered in McKenna's case?
It's a high-pressure environment, especially with the tournament being held on home ice in Ottawa.
"These are bright lights," Salmond said. "This is a big tournament, and for a young player, and we've seen it, you know, you've seen it with Connor Bedard, you've seen it with all the young players who come here, it's a challenging environment to perform in. But I think we have a program that challenges these kids, too, at world championships, Hlinka-Gretzky is under bright lights, as well.
"And so although it's a little bit different, I think that players of that ilk kind of have an expectation of themselves. And I think that we've got some good people around him and some leadership here, too, that can help lead him through that."
Last spring, McKenna helped Canada win gold at the U-18 World Championship with 10 goals and 20 points in seven games. He followed that up this summer with three goals and six points in five games on the way to winning the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. He is at home in international competition.
"Yeah, for sure it gives me confidence playing with some of those guys there," McKenna said. "And having them here brings confidence and comfort in a way. But it's a new tournament, so I've got to just make sure I'm as ready as possible. And I can't let that tournament get to my head."
Of course, this is another level. McKenna has no problem standing out when facing the best players in his age group. But he has yet to compete against players who are older and more physically developed.
"I'm not a huge guy (6-foot, 165 pounds), but I think I've kind of learned," McKenna said. "I've played against guys pretty big in the [WHL] for the last few years now, so it kind of prepares me for this. And having those super talented guys around me to kind of help me out, I think that'll help as well.
In his first full season with Medicine Hat last year, McKenna flirted with the 100-point mark -- he had 97 in 61 games -- even though he was a few inches shorter and several pounds lighter.
"He's a super-special player and he deserves to be here," said forward Brayden Yager, a Winnipeg Jets prospect. "Obviously, the staff picked him to be here for a reason. And you see the things that he's doing this year in Medicine Hat. So I'm not too worried about him, and I don't think anybody is. I think that he's going to be a really key part of this team."
Canada's coach, Dave Cameron, has yet to get to know McKenna on a personal level, but he is well aware of what the phenom can do on the ice.
"He's skilled, I mean, he's really skilled, and he doesn't seem to be intimidated by the spotlight," Cameron said. "But he's only one part of this team. It's not about individuals. When you have a best-on-best tournament, the best team wins because everybody's the same in the talent pool. You get the best from every country, so there's not going to be much difference. Whoever gels as a team is going to win."
