Yukoner Gavin McKenna helped lead the Medicine Hat Tigers to victory in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Western playoffs, sealing the series with a decisive 4-2 win over the Spokane Chiefs in the Ed Chynoweth Cup final held in Washington State on May 16.
McKenna, 17, recorded nine goals and 29 assists for a total of 38 points over 14 games throughout the Western Hockey League (WHL) playoffs, playing a pivotal role in the Tigers’ run to the cup. According to stats, McKenna made an improvement from the 2023-24 WHL playoffs, having scored two goals and four assists.
McKenna, a left-wing forward, missed games three and four of the playoffs due to an undisclosed injury but returned with a strong offensive performance in game five, scoring a goal in the Ed Chynoweth Cup final alongside teammates Bryce Pickford, Hunter St. Martin and Niilopekka Muhonen. The Tigers faced the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the conference championship, beating them 4-0 from April 25 to 30.
"I’ve been battling an injury all series and I knew this was an opportunity for us to close up the series, so I wanted to be here for the boys. They stuck with me without me in the lineup for those two games, so that shows how tight of a group we are. We’re willing to do it for each other and that was an amazing feeling tonight," McKenna told reporters after the finals.
Having won the Ed Chynoweth Cup, the Tigers have advanced through to compete in the Memorial Cup in Rimouski, Que., where they will face off against Rimouski Oceanic, the Moncton Wildcats and the London Knights from May 22 to June 1.
According to the CHL, McKenna became the third-fastest player in the WHL's modern history since 2000 to reach 200 points, achieving this milestone in his 118th game during the 2024-25 season.
McKenna had a successful 2023-24 season, having won the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy for rookie of the year after having played for the Tigers throughout the season.
McKenna was selected by the Tigers as the first pick in the 2022 WHL prospects draft, according to the CHL. Since joining the Tigers, McKenna has accumulated a total of 79 goals and 165 assists in 133 WHL regular-season matches up to 2025.
McKenna currently stands eligible for the 2026 NHL draft.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com
