2026 NHL Draft: Round 1 Storylines, Top Picks, and Where They'll Play Next

Who Went No. 1 Overall at the 2026 NHL Draft?

The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick. McKenna, a left wing from Penn State in the NCAA, was the consensus top prospect in this class. He is one of the first players to take advantage of the rule change that opened NCAA eligibility to CHL-eligible players, and he made the most of it — posting 51 points in 35 games as the sixth-youngest player in men's college hockey this past season.

What sets McKenna apart is not raw speed or size. It is his hockey IQ. Scouts describe his ability to process the game a full step ahead of defenders, manipulate pressure, and find passing lanes that most players his age never see. Toronto used the first overall pick for the first time since 2016, when it selected Auston Matthews.

2026 NHL Draft First Round: All 32 Picks

The Biggest Stories from Round 1

San Jose had the best night. The Sharks came in with three first-round picks and used all of them aggressively. Stenberg at No. 2 is arguably the most NHL-ready player in this class — he posted the most points by an 18-year-old in SHL history since the Sedin twins in 1999. Verhoeff at No. 9 gives them a big, two-way defensive anchor. Then they traded up from No. 27 to No. 21 to grab Ryan Lin, a dynamic puck-moving defenseman committed to the University of Denver. Three picks, three different defensive and offensive profiles. The Sharks are building something real.

St. Louis loaded up at center. The Blues entered Friday with four first-round picks — more than any team — and left with Tynan Lawrence (No. 11) and Maddox Dagenais (No. 16) to address a long-standing weakness down the middle. They also acquired Mason McTavish via trade during the draft, sliding picks 15 and 29 to Anaheim. Whether you think the Blues overpaid or got a deal, they came out of the weekend with more blue-chip forward depth than they have had in years.

Utah moved up for Belchetz. The Mammoth traded up two spots from their original slot to secure Ethan Belchetz at No. 17. The Windsor power forward is 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, and said in pre-draft interviews he wants to be "the scariest guy on the ice." He heads to Michigan State next season.

Jaxon Cover is from the Cayman Islands. The No. 32 pick by Ottawa grew up playing inline hockey in the Caymans and only switched to ice in 2023. He's been playing for three years. The ceiling is genuinely unknown in the best way.

2026 NHL Draft: Rounds 2 Through 7 Highlights

Saturday's six rounds produced 191 picks across six hours. A few names and moments worth knowing:

The Ruck twins both went to Pittsburgh. Liam Ruck went at No. 22 in Round 1, and his twin brother Markus went to the Penguins in Round 2 at No. 39. Markus actually had more points this season — 104 to Liam's 104 — they tied for the WHL scoring lead at Medicine Hat. Pittsburgh drafted both of them on back-to-back days. That doesn't happen often.

Joe Iginla went in Round 3. Yes, that Iginla. Jarome's son was taken by the Calgary Flames at No. 65 overall, heading to Vancouver of the WHL. He plays right wing. Calgary already has Tij Iginla in its system — a different Iginla son, drafted by Utah in 2024. The Flames are apparently collecting them.

Alexander Karmanov is 7-foot-1. San Jose took him in the seventh round at No. 201. He is the tallest player ever drafted in NHL history, and the first player born in Moldova to ever hear his name called at the draft. He plays for North Bay of the OHL.

Quinn McKenzie went last in Round 7 to New Jersey. He is 5-foot-8 — the smallest player in this draft class. The final two picks of the 2026 NHL Draft featured a 7-foot-1 player and a 5-foot-8 player. That range about sums up the late rounds.

Where the 2026 Draft Class Will Play Next Season

This is the question that matters most for anyone tracking these prospects long-term. Here is how the class breaks down by league:

Ontario Hockey League (OHL): Multiple first-rounders are staying in the OHL for at least one more season before turning pro. Caleb Malhotra (No. 3) heads to Boston University, but other OHL products like Ethan Belchetz (Windsor) and JP Hurlbert (Michigan) are moving to NCAA programs. The OHL rinks in Brantford, Windsor, Sault Ste. Marie, London, Kamloops, and others will see significant local search interest this season.

Western Hockey League (WHL): Daxon Rudolph (Prince Albert), Carson Carels (Prince George), Chase Reid (Sault Ste. Marie), Ryan Lin (Vancouver), Liam Ruck (Medicine Hat) — all WHL products, all first-rounders. The WHL had one of its strongest showings in recent drafts this year.

NCAA: Penn State, Boston University, North Dakota, Miami University, and Michigan are all landing spots for top-10 picks. College hockey arenas tied to this draft class will get searched heavily as fans follow their new prospects.

Swedish Hockey League (SHL): Ivar Stenberg, Viggo Björck, Malte Gustafsson — three SHL players went in the top 13. European leagues had a strong presence throughout all seven rounds.

Finnish Liiga: Oliver Suvanto (No. 18) and Juho Piiparinen (No. 29) came out of Tappara in Liiga. Finland produced two first-round picks from the same club.

2026 NHL Draft Quick Reference: Key Numbers

• Total picks made: 223 (pick No. 63 forfeited by Vegas)
• First overall pick: Gavin McKenna, Toronto Maple Leafs
• Final pick (No. 224): Tyler Deakos, Montreal Canadiens
• Tallest player ever drafted: Alexander Karmanov, 7'1", San Jose Sharks (No. 201)
• Team with most first-round picks: St. Louis Blues (4 picks: Nos. 11, 16, 23, 29)
• Most active team overall: San Jose Sharks (multiple trades up and down across all 7 rounds)
• Notable firsts: First Moldova-born player ever drafted (Karmanov); first player from the Cayman Islands to reach the NHL draft (Cover)

Why the 2026 Draft Class Matters Beyond the NHL

The NHL Draft is not just about who makes the show. It is also the moment that puts a spotlight on the arenas, rinks, and programs that develop these players.

Every city that sent a first-rounder to Buffalo this weekend — Prince Albert, Prince George, Sault Ste. Marie, Brantford, Windsor, Kamloops, Medicine Hat, Youngstown, Moncton — has an arena that fans will be searching. RinkStop tracks ice rinks globally, including the community and junior-level facilities that build the base of the sport. If you want to find where these players trained, where they played their first games, or where to skate in their hometown, that information lives in our directory.

The 2026 draft class came from rinks in Canada, the United States, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, Latvia, Kazakhstan, and Moldova. Hockey is global. So is RinkStop.

Looking for the rink where your favorite 2026 draft pick played? Search RinkStop's directory to find ice rinks by city, country, or league. Want every pick from every round in one searchable archive? See the complete 2026 NHL Draft picks archive.

Draft complete. Coverage continues as these players start their first full pro or junior seasons — bookmark RinkStop's 2026 draft archive for the deepest view in hockey.