Sports

Sidney Crosby will cement his legacy, while newbies like Gavin McKenna and Trey Yesavage become household names. The WNBA, meanwhile, makes its long-awaited debut in Toronto.

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1 A Teen From the Yukon Will Be the NHL's Top Draft Pick

At just 17, Gavin McKenna is already touted as hockey's Next One. The Yukon-born lefty is Canada's biggest pre-draft phenom since his own distant cousin, Connor Bedard, in 2023. The comparisons don't stop there: shifty skating, a devastating shot and high hockey IQ all run in the family. But McKenna is charting his own course. He's set to be the first top draft pick from the territories in June and has become the rare Canadian talent to controversially jump ship from junior hockey for the NCAA (he's at Penn State). The hockey world can't wait to see what he'll do next.

2 BMO Field Will Get a Makeover

Toronto's lakefront soccer pitch is getting the World Cup treatment. BMO Field— soon to be temporarily renamed Toronto Stadium—will receive a $146-million facelift ahead of this summer's tournament. The overhaul includes massive 50-by-30-foot video boards towering over the pitch, a new broadcast room built to beam FIFA feeds to billions and a hybrid grass surface tough enough for back-to-back matches. The upgrades, led by MLSE and the city of Toronto, will boost capacity to 45,000 seats to meet FIFA's standards. Come June 12, when Canada's men's team kicks off its first World Cup match on home soil, Toronto Stadium will finally look like the world stage it's always aspired to be.

3 Bobby Webster Will Lead the Raptors' Post-Ujiri Era