Dylan Cozens happy to share Whitehorse stage with Maple Leafs’ Gavin McKenna

Tthree players from Whitehorse, prior to McKenna, have combined to play in 452 NHL games – and Cozens accounts for 444 of them

Published Oct 03, 2026  •  Last updated 25 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

Ottawa Senator Dylan Cozens during the Sens training camp at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia Network

Dylan Cozens loves the company he now keeps in the National Hockey League.

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More than five years after he started to blaze a trail to the NHL from Whitehorse, Yukon, the Ottawa Senators forward is thrilled to be joined by fellow Whitehorse native and Maple Leafs rookie Gavin McKenna.

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“He has been unbelievable since he was seven years old,” Cozens said on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena, hours ahead of the first Battle of Ontario of the 2026-27 season. “He played on my younger brother Luke’s team, so we always knew about him and how good he was.

“To see him continue to have success at every level, it’s awesome to watch and follow.”

Gavin McKenna, the first pick overall in the NHL draft by the Maple Leafs, at development camp at the Ford Performance Centre in Etobicoke on Friday July 3, 2026. Photo by Ernest Doroszuk /Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network

How short is the list of NHL players from Whitehorse?

The previous three players from Whitehorse, prior to McKenna, have combined to play in 452 games. And Cozens accounts for 444 of them.

Peter Sturgeon, who became the first coach of the Mississauga IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League in the 1998-99 season, skated in six games for the Colorado Rockies from 1979-81. Bryon Baltimore played in two games for the Edmonton Oilers in 1979-80.

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That was it until Cozens, a first-round pick by the Buffalo Sabres in 2019, made his NHL debut for the Sabres in January 2021 against the Washington Capitals.

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“You think of a Whitehorse kid going first overall and playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, it’s really cool,” Cozens said. “I’ve known Gavin for a long time and known about him for a long time, and he’s had success at every level.

“It’s so awesome to have someone from Whitehorse in the NHL with me, and I think we can do a lot of big things for Whitehorse.

“It‘s all about giving kids belief. If you’re growing up there, you might not think you can make it. You might not think that people will see you or find you. But if you work at it, keep at it and enjoy doing it, you’ll be found.

“I hope that we’ve given a lot of kids in smaller communities belief that they can do this too.”

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