6 months ago
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Gavin McKenna, the projected No. 1 prime of the 2026 NHL Draft, is committing to Penn State University, helium announced connected Tuesday.
McKenna, 17, is considered the highest illustration enlistee successful NCAA hockey history. He made his determination aft taking last visits to Penn State and Michigan State past weekend.
"After 2 unforgettable seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers I'm precise excited to proceed my hockey vocation astatine Penn State," McKenna told ESPN. "I consciousness this is the adjacent measurement successful my improvement to scope my eventual extremity of playing successful the NHL and I americium excited to get to Happy Valley. I'm precise appreciative for each the enactment I've received truthful far, particularly to my household who has been with maine done it all."
NHL endowment evaluators person agelong projected McKenna, a 6-foot winger, to beryllium a prima - successful the mold of caller No. 1 picks Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini. One NHL enforcement who has scouted McKenna extensively told ESPN the winger's accomplishment acceptable is akin to Patrick Kane's, the subordinate McKenna said helium grew up idolizing.
McKenna scored 129 points (41 goals, 88 assists) successful 56 games -- including a 40-game points streak -- for the Medicine Hat Tigers past play arsenic helium led his squad to their archetypal WHL rubric since 2007 and a travel to the Memorial Cup Final against the London Knights.
McKenna was the 2024 CHL Player of the Year, becoming the 3rd youngest subordinate to triumph the award, down lone Sidney Crosby and John Tavares.
A autochthonal of Whitehorse, Yukon, McKenna is simply a subordinate of the Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin First Nation.
McKenna's committedness is simply a seismic determination for assemblage hockey, and different indicator of a caller agelong word trend: a November regularisation alteration allowed CHL players to vie successful the NCAA adjacent play for the archetypal time. Previously, CHL players were barred due to the fact that of the NCAA's amateurism rules.
Penn State, which has been a Division I programme since the 2012-13 season, has been the biggest benefactor truthful far. The Nittany Lions besides received a committedness from Alberta autochthonal Jackson Smith, who was drafted successful the archetypal circular of the 2025 NHL Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Smith, 18, becomes Penn State's first, first-round NHL draught pick.
According to sources, McKenna received an "extremely generous six figure" NIL connection from Penn State arsenic portion of his recruitment, believed to beryllium the biggest successful assemblage hockey history.
Penn State is coming disconnected its first-ever Frozen Four appearance, losing to Boston University. The Nittany Lions boast top-end facilities and beardown continuity; Guy Gadowsky has been the manager since their inaugural D1 season. Gadowsky's son, Mac, is besides transferring to Penn State adjacent play which is different coup. Mac Gadowsky, a defenseman, was a Hobey Baker Finalist for Army past season. Calgary Flames imaginable Luke Misa besides committed to Penn State for adjacent season.
