To the surprise of no one, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Most agreed that he was a mortal lock to be picked first, and after a stellar freshman season at Penn State, there are many who think that think he has a chance to be a generational talent on par with Conor Bedard's rise to stardom. Given the hype, collectors have been eagerly awaiting his first licensed NHL cards. In fact, that chase has actually already begun.
Hockey cards are a different animal than other sports. While Topps dominates the baseball, basketball, and football card landscape after Fanatics' successful takeover of those markets, hockey remains mostly in the hands of Upper Deck. You can find Topps hockey cards (including some of McKenna) through their Bowman U Now program, but those days are over now that he is a pro.
Recently, McKenna and Upper Deck announced an exclusive deal where Upper Deck will be the sole company that will produce cards with his likeness, including autographs. While seeing McKenna on physical hockey cards in the wild is still a ways away, Upper Deck wasted no time in adding McKenna to their e-Pack program (think Topps Now with a digital card component). However, the real fun begins once his physical rookie cards start appearing, because the few cards McKenna has are already in high demand.
What Maple Leafs' Gavin McKenna collectors need to know before the chase
While it will be a while before we know anything about print runs, as McKenna's draft e-Card packs are still available for sale, you can bet that it is going to be a high number. With chances for parallels and even autos (although the odds of an auto are tough), McKenna's draft e-Pack cards are going to be in high demand until the window to buy them closes.
However, the demand for McKenna has not been limited to those e-Pack cards. Previously, McKenna did have Upper Deck cards (including autographs) from his time with Team Canada Juniors and the CHL, as well as some from Topps via Bowman U Now. It is early, but McKenna's autos in those products are already selling for hundreds of dollars and more, and that is going to pale in comparison to what happens when there are true rookie cards with him in a Maple Leafs uniform.
The next step is to see when we will see McKenna Young Guns and Future Stars rookies in packs. Upper Deck's statement about their deal with McKenna specifically mentions Upper Deck Flagship Series, SP Authentic, and O-Pee-Chee-Platinum. SP Authentic for this year has already been released, so collectors missed the boat on that one. However, if Upper Deck is smart, they will get McKenna in packs as soon as possible.
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