"We wanted to make sure we thought about it in all the different ways possible," said John Chayka, General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"You name it. Just to make sure we're not missing anything.
But I think, at the end of the day, it was straightforward."
Chayka previously traveled to Whitehorse to evaluate McKenna's character and spent time outdoors with his family.
"You know, he's a small-town kid," Chayka said.
"Within that, I think there's some real resolve with who he is, and what his career means to him and his family.
I find it impressive."
The executive valued the player's connection to his hometown community during their meetings.
"The quality of the family, the quality of the people, how much family means to him," the GM continued.
"His roots, how important it is for him to give back to his community that's given him so much.
I think those are all really interesting things."
Chayka added that character evaluation is essential for players entering the high-pressure Toronto environment.
"We've spent a lot of time with him and his family," Chayka said.
"Just going through that process — we want to make sure we get the person right, first and foremost.
Everyone's seen him play and knows his skill level and the talent.
But as we think about a Toronto Maple Leaf and what that means, we were just really digging into that part."
The Maple Leafs finalized their choice after securing the top draft spot during the lottery on May 5.
