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Revised - Whitehorse鈥檚 Gavin McKenna, 14, has been chosen first overall in the Western Hockey League (WHL) Prospects Draft by the Medicine Hat Tigers.

He is the first Yukoner to be the top overall pick in the WHL draft.

McKenna is having a very good week. He鈥檚 coming off a gold medal win with Pro Hockey Toronto in Nashville at the World Select Invitational Hockey tournament, his second championship win at the event.

He also won a silver medal playing with Team B.C. at the prestigious Brick tournament in Edmonton in 2017, then brought home a gold at the 2018 Brick Nashville Music City Invitational tournament.

He played this past season with the RHA Kelowna U18 Prep program in the Canadian Sport School U18P league, leading the league in scoring.

The Star reached his proud papa, Willy McKenna, this morning.

鈥淚t鈥檚 quite surreal. We feel happy for him, for sure. It鈥檚 a big day for him and it鈥檚 nice to see him get some recognition and some accolades and some attention. So, yeah, it鈥檚 all good.鈥�

McKenna said they were expecting Gavin to go first overall.

鈥淲e were in discussions with Medicine Hat for quite some time now. We were just down in Nashville, Tennessee for the National Selects Invitational, a big hockey tournament, and Willie Desjardins, who鈥檚 the GM and coach of the Tigers, came down there and talked to us a bunch and took us out for supper and it was then that we actually signed with the Tigers, so we knew probably a couple weeks in advance,鈥� recalled McKenna.

The contract with the Tigers was signed last Saturday.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just a standard WHL contract. It鈥檚 the same across the board. It鈥檚 basically saying that ... the Medicine Hat Tigers have the rights to Gavin and with that being said, he can鈥檛 go play anywhere else when he turns 16,鈥� explained McKenna.

Exceptional status for McKenna to play in the WHL is currently being worked on.

鈥淲e were a little bit late applying for exceptional status but they are doing their best to try to get him as many games next year as possible because regularly a player of his age can only play five games in the regular season and once their midget 鈥� or whatever league they鈥檙e playing in 鈥� once that鈥檚 done, then they can go and play as many games as they can with the WHL club,鈥漞xplained McKenna.

鈥淲hen March comes around, if the team is in the playoffs, then they can get more games.

鈥淭hey definitely know that Gavin can play in the WHL next year. It鈥檚 just a matter of whether the league allows him to play more than what鈥檚 regularly allowed for his age group,鈥� he added.

The birth year for this year鈥檚 WHL prospects draft was 2007. Any player who was 15 in 2022 was eligible for this draft. McKenna, of course, is an exception.

鈥淕avin鈥檚 unique in that he was born really late in the year, Dec. 20, so in actual fact, he鈥檚 a year younger than a lot of these kids that are in the same draft,鈥� said the elder McKenna.

He explained what led to his talented son being taken first overall.

鈥淲hen he was 12 years old, we had to send him out to Kelowna and play there ... this following year, we applied for him to get exemplary status, so he could play up in the U18 midget league as a second-year bantam. There鈥檚 only been about three players in the history of that league that have gotten that status.

鈥淭his year he had a really exceptional year as well as a U18 playing with people three to four years older than him. He ended up being the top scorer in the whole league.

鈥淪o that pretty much firmed it up for him in that he would be the first overall pick in the WHL draft. He鈥檚 always been good, but this year showed everybody that he is a really good player and deserves to be number one overall.鈥�

McKenna tallied 65 points (23 goals and 42 assists) in 35 games with Kelowna U18 Prep.

McKenna explains what his son鈥檚 biggest strengths are.

鈥淭he biggest thing 鈥� Willie Desjardins did a bit of a speech at the draft this morning 鈥� is the way he thinks the game. He can process it a lot quicker than your regular player. He can see the ice really well.

鈥淗e has good vision ... he makes the players around him quite a bit better. He鈥檚 got really good hands. He鈥檚 got a good shot and he鈥檚 really quick with the puck.鈥�

According to his dad, McKenna is more of a passer than a shooter 鈥� a real playmaker.

So how far can he take his career?

鈥淚t鈥檚 a long road,鈥� said the elder McKenna.

鈥淭his is a good step ... we鈥檝e been talking to Medicine Hat for quite some time and the biggest thing is he鈥檚 going to be somewhere for three or four years, which are big development years and to have him in a place where he鈥檚 comfortable, good people around him, to give him the best chance to move forward, but ultimately, he wants to go to the NHL and that鈥檚 his goal and he鈥檚 driven and hopefully he gets there.鈥�

The Star reached Gavin McKenna Thursday afternoon.

鈥淚 haven鈥檛 really taken it all in yet. It鈥檚 been a busy day,鈥� said the budding superstar.

The fact that he鈥檚 going to eventually be playing in the WHL hasn鈥檛 sunk in yet.

鈥淚t鈥檚 starting to but it鈥檚 just so surreal. It鈥檚 starting to sink in though.鈥�

The 5鈥�10鈥�, 160 pound McKenna thinks certain special skills he has are what captured the Tigers鈥� attention.

鈥淢y playmaking and my skill set; my ability to see the ice and make plays at a fast speed, play at a high speed.鈥�

McKenna thinks it鈥檚 pretty amazing to be the first Yukoner to go first overall in the WHL draft.

鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome. I hope it brings more attention to the game in Whitehorse, get more little kids playing ... it鈥檚 an honour coming from such a small town.鈥�

As for being a role model like Dylan Cozens, the Buffalo Sabres pro, McKenna said 鈥渉opefully. I鈥檓 hoping for that cause I know that there鈥檚 a few kids in Whitehorse that obviously look up to Dylan and I鈥檓 hoping I can follow in his footsteps and have kids look up to me as well.鈥�

So how far does he want to take his career?

鈥淧laying in the NHL, obviously; make a living out of the NHL. Not just be like an average player. I wanna win stuff, win a Stanley Cup.鈥�

McKenna added 鈥淚 would just like to thank all my family members, all my teammates, all my coaches guiding me ... all my trainers as well.鈥�

Not surprisingly, the first overall pick has plans to improve even more during the summer.

鈥淟ots of training, workin鈥� on my shot, shooting pucks in my back yard, getting on the ice as much as I can.

鈥淚 have a few camps. I have a camp out in Detroit. I have one here in Kelowna. Just gonna try to get as much ice time as I can.鈥�

McKenna is coming back to Whitehorse for a visit in June.