NHL chooses Buffalo Sabres to host draft in June with PSU's Gavin McKenna as the top prospect

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres will host the NHL draft in June, commissioner Gary Bettman announced Monday, with highly prized prospect Gavin McKenna as the centerpiece of the event.

Bettman made the announcement while joined by Sabres executives, including team owner Terry Pegula, during a news conference before Buffalo's home game against the Florida Panthers.

“This is a great sports town, a great hockey market. The reception we get here is always terrific,” Bettman said. “Fans are knowledgeable and passionate. We’ve got a great organization with great ownership. All the factors that you would take into account, the boxes are checked in a first-class way.”

The two-day draft was already set for June 26-27, with the league going with a decentralized format for a second straight year. The format features prospects and their families attending the draft, while teams make the picks from their home markets.

The draft in Buffalo will be held at the Sabres home arena, KeyBank Center. That’s a switch from last year, when the two-day event was held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Buffalo has also been home to the NHL’s annual pre-draft combine since 2015, and will once again host the league's top prospects this spring.

This will mark the fourth time the Sabres host the draft — the second-most by any NHL team behind only Montreal's 27. Buffalo most recently held the event in 2016, when Auston Matthews was selected No. 1 by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

This time, all eyes will be on McKenna, the Penn State freshman forward who has long been projected to be the 2026 draft’s No. 1 pick.

The draft announcement coincided with NHL Central Scouting releasing its mid-season rankings of prospects with McKenna topping the list of North American prospects, ahead of North Dakota's Keaton Verhoeff. Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg tops the list of international players.

The 18-year-old McKenna is from Whitehorse, Yukon, and made a major splash this summer when he elected to leave the Canadian Hockey League after two-plus seasons in Medicine Hat, Alberta, and make the jump to Happy Valley. The move south came in the first offseason after the NCAA lifted its longtime ban in making CHL players eligible to compete at the college ranks.

McKenna has been labeled a “generational talent,” and regarded as the 2026 draft’s top prospect since 2024.

McKenna ranks fourth on the Nittany Lions and seventh among NCAA freshmen with four goals and 15 assists for 19 points in 18 games.

The college ranks are considered more challenging because a majority of players are 19 and older, as opposed to the CHL where the age range is 16 to 20.

Pegula is a Penn State alum, and donated more than $100 million to help launch the Nittany Lions men’s and women’s hockey program in 2013, which included the construction of a new arena that bears his name.

“When we opened the arena, I remember part of my speech was maybe someday the next Sidney Crosby will come out of this arena,” Pegula said, referring to the Penguins captain. “So I don’t know where Gavin’s going to get drafted. I’m not making any predictions. But he’s a great young player and it’s nice to prospects like that starting to come out of Central PA.”

As a member of Canada’s bronze medal-winning team at the recent world junior championships, McKenna finished the tournament second with 10 points (four goals, six assists) in seven games.

McKenna thrived at Medicine Hat, where he had 91 goals and 198 assists for 289 points in 158 career games. Last season, he failed to register a point in just four outings, while closing the year with a 45-game point streak in which McKenna combined for 32 goals and 100 points.

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Canada's Gavin McKenna speaks to media following a practice during the IIHF World Junior Championship, in Minneapolis on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada forward Gavin McKenna (9) controls the puck during the second period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship bronze medal game against Finland, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Raegan Beers had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 4 seed Oklahoma overwhelmed No. 13 seed Idaho 89-59 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night.

Beers, a senior center, also had four assists and four blocks. Sahara Williams had 17 points and 10 rebounds, Aaliyah Chavez scored 15 points and Payton Verhulst added 14 for the Sooners (25-7), who stopped Idaho's win streak at 18 games. The Vandals hadn’t lost since Jan. 10.

The Sooners pushed the tempo early and were intentional about being balanced. Eventually, they wore the Vandals down.

“I think we’re setting the tone for how we want to play going on into March,” Williams said.

Oklahoma will play No. 5 seed Michigan State in the second round on Sunday. The Spartans outlasted No. 12 Colorado State 65-62 in the early game on Friday.

Kyra Gardner scored 19 points and Hope Hassmann added 12 for Idaho (29-6). The Vandals shot 24.7% from the field and made just 10 of 46 3-pointers.

Oklahoma played one of its most efficient offensive halves of the season to go up 57-35 at the break. The Sooners shot 59.5% from the field and committed just four turnovers. Williams had 13 points and Verhulst had 12 at the break.

The Sooners opened the second half on an 8-1 run, including six points from Beers, to go up 65-36.

Williams drained a shot from beyond halfcourt at the end of the third quarter, but she released it just a bit too late to count. The Sooners took a 76-38 lead into the fourth.

The Sooners created positive energy and the home crowd added more.

“When we have fun, I wouldn’t say a win is guaranteed, but we play a lot better when we have fun and have a smile on our face and we rebound and we score and we assist the ball,” Williams said.

Idaho coach Arthur Moreira said there might be more smiling ahead for the Sooners.

“They’re just a complete team,” he said. “I think they’re equipped to make a big run here. As I was scouting them, it was fun to watch.”

Chavez had five assists and no turnovers, shot a solid 6 for 14 from the field and had six rebounds in her first taste of March Madness.

Strangely, she missed her first two free throws before making two later. She made 70 of 72 free throws during Southeastern Conference play and entered the night shooting 94% from the line overall this season.

Oklahoma made 15 of 21 layups while Idaho made 4 of 19.

Beers was a significant factor in both of those stats. She made five of her six layups and was a pest around the rim defensively. She was a key reason Idaho made just 10 of 35 shots inside the 3-point line.

The women's team made the 30-minute trip to Oklahoma City on Thursday to watch the Idaho men play Houston.

Many of the fans that watched that 78-47 loss showed up in Norman on Friday.

“Just to be in the Idaho section was so cool,” Hassmann said. “And then also to see those fans travel here today — kind of had our own Idaho section, which was super cool to hear them cheer for us and our band and cheerleaders.”

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Idaho guard Katlin Kangur (14) goes up to shoot beside Oklahoma guard Aaliyah Chavez (2) during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 20, 2026, Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

Oklahoma center Raegan Beers (15) blocks a shot by Idaho guard Ana Pinheiro (37) during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 20, 2026, Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)