Story Summary
Gavin McKenna and Matthew Schaefer, the past two No. 1 overall selections in the NHL Draft, will face one another when the Toronto Maple Leafs open their 2026-27 regular season against the New York Islanders at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday.
The meeting carries an unusual personal element. McKenna and Schaefer have been teammates in Canada’s national-team programme, including at the 2025 World Junior Championship, and both describe one another as close friends. That connection will be put aside when McKenna takes the ice for Toronto and Schaefer arrives with the Islanders.
For McKenna, the game comes one day after his scheduled NHL regular-season debut against the Montreal Canadiens. Schaefer enters the season after winning the Calder Trophy with the Islanders, placing him among a limited group of No. 1 picks to claim the League’s rookie of the year award in the past two decades.
The fixture also brings Schaefer back close to home. He grew up in Stoney Creek, Ontario, and said the Toronto date will allow family and friends to make the short journey to watch the Islanders’ first game of the season.
Key Facts
- Gavin McKenna and the Toronto Maple Leafs are scheduled to play Matthew Schaefer and the New York Islanders at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday.
- McKenna’s NHL regular-season debut is scheduled for Tuesday, when Toronto host the Montreal Canadiens.
- McKenna and Schaefer were the past two No. 1 overall selections in the NHL Draft.
- The pair first crossed paths through Canada’s national-team programme and have played together more often than against one another.
- At the 2025 World Junior Championship, Schaefer assisted on McKenna’s goal as Canada defeated Finland 4-0.
- Schaefer broke his collarbone against Latvia later in that World Junior Championship.
- McKenna was selected first overall by Toronto in Buffalo in June, while Schaefer interviewed him after the selection.
- Schaefer won the 2026 Calder Trophy with the Islanders.
- Auston Matthews said McKenna is a special player and person, while former No. 1 picks including Connor McDavid, Jack Hughes and Macklin Celebrini spoke of the support available to him in Toronto.
IHM Discussion
This is an early-season game with a clear hockey narrative before either club has had time to establish a season identity. McKenna arrives in Toronto carrying the visibility that accompanies a first overall pick, particularly in a major Canadian market, while Schaefer has already experienced the immediate expectations attached to that status and has a Calder Trophy behind him.
Their shared history gives the occasion more substance than a simple draft-pick comparison. At the 2025 World Juniors, Schaefer’s pass created McKenna’s first goal in the tournament during Canada’s 4-0 win over Finland. They have also shared national-team dressing rooms and retain evident respect for each other’s game and character.
The attention around McKenna will naturally be intense following his selection by Toronto, but the people quoted around him focused on routine rather than spectacle: play the game, use the support around him and allow comfort to build from one game to the next. Matthews, himself a former No. 1 pick in Toronto, is among the established players McKenna can work alongside.
Schaefer’s position is different. He is returning to Ontario with a season of NHL recognition already on his record, but his response to the matchup was centred on the Islanders’ own preparation. That distinction is important: the individual storyline is compelling, yet the game remains the opening regular-season test for two teams.
Why It Matters
The matchup offers an immediate look at two players whose careers will be regularly linked because of their consecutive draft positions, Canadian national-team history and friendship. It also places McKenna’s first days as a Maple Leaf beside Schaefer’s second NHL season after a rookie campaign recognised with the Calder Trophy.
For Toronto, McKenna’s debut against Montreal and the following meeting with the Islanders create a highly visible opening sequence. For Schaefer, the trip to Toronto brings a home-region audience and a direct meeting with a player he knows well. Neither circumstance changes the importance of team play, but both add context to a fixture that already has significant interest.
Mini Q&A
When will Gavin McKenna and Matthew Schaefer play each other?
McKenna’s Toronto Maple Leafs are scheduled to face Schaefer’s New York Islanders at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday.
How do McKenna and Schaefer know each other?
They met through Canada’s national-team programme, played together at the 2025 World Junior Championship and describe one another as close friends.
What happened when they played together at the World Juniors?
Schaefer assisted on McKenna’s goal in Canada’s 4-0 win over Finland at the 2025 World Junior Championship.
What has Schaefer already achieved in the NHL?
Schaefer won the 2026 Calder Trophy with the New York Islanders.
Coach Mark Comment
The most useful early measure will not be a comparison of draft pedigree but how each player manages ordinary NHL details under heightened attention. McKenna’s opening two games bring little time to settle into a new routine, while Schaefer will be playing close to home against a familiar opponent. Staying connected to line structure, making the simple play when it is available and not chasing the occasion are the habits that keep a marquee matchup from becoming an individual contest.
What Comes Next
McKenna is scheduled to make his NHL regular-season debut when Toronto host Montreal on Tuesday. Toronto then open against the Islanders at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday, bringing McKenna and Schaefer together for their first NHL meeting.
IHM Final View
Gavin McKenna versus Matthew Schaefer is a rare opening-week storyline: two successive first overall picks, former Canadian teammates and friends meeting on an NHL stage in Toronto. Schaefer’s Calder-winning season provides one point of context, while McKenna’s debut begins the next chapter. The fixture will be closely watched, but both players have made clear that the focus is on helping their own teams begin the season well.