Everyone is talking about Gavin McKenna – the super prospect crushed expectations in the NHL tests

The NHL Scouting Combine held in Buffalo brought together about 90 top hockey prospects before the NHL Draft.

The most watched name of the event was the top prospect Gavin McKenna, who stood out particularly in the physical tests. He was the best in the entire test group in maximal oxygen uptake, with a result of VO2max (ml/kg/min): 65.

McKenna performed very strongly throughout the day, as he placed among the top eight in four different test categories and was at the very top in several strength measurements. In the chin-up test, he completed 14 clean repetitions.

– Gavin McKenna has performed extremely well in the tests today. Very well. An excellent athlete, which top players are not always, believe it or not, The Athletic reporter Scott Wheeler praised on X.

Several Finnish players were involved: defenders Samu Alalauri and Juho Piiparinen, as well as forwards Oliver Suvanto, Matias Vanhanen, Oscar Hemming, and Vilho Vanhatalo.

Among the Finns, the best individual result was recorded by Hemming, whose wingspan was measured as the longest in the entire test group, around 204 centimeters.

Suvanto, considered the most promising Finnish player of his age group, placed third in left-hand grip strength, sixth in maximal oxygen uptake, and eighth in agility testing.

Piiparinen, on the other hand, consistently performed well in several measurements: his best placements included fourth in vertical jump without hands, fifth in maximal oxygen uptake, and fifth in the 10-meter sprint.

Vanhanen, on the other hand, placed third in the vertical jump.

The NHL Draft will take place on June 26-27. The first pick will belong to the Toronto Maple Leafs.