5 things to know about the assault allegations against Penn State hockey’s Gavin McKenna

Penn State hockey phenom Gavin McKenna, widely considered a potential first overall NHL draft pick, faces a felony aggravated assault charge after he was accused of breaking a man’s jaw in downtown State College. The incident occurred Saturday night, hours after McKenna scored a goal and had two assists in front of nearly 75,000 fans at Beaver Stadium.

FULL STORY: Penn State hockey star Gavin McKenna faces felony, accused of assault in State College

Here are five things to know about the accusations:

• A 21-year-old man required surgery to repair fractures on both sides of his jaw, which State College police said will remain wired shut for about two weeks. He was also missing a tooth.

• Borough police said the altercation followed an “exchange of words” around 8:45 p.m. Saturday on South Pugh Street. A source familiar with McKenna’s perspective said someone began heckling McKenna and his mother after the game, and the situation escalated when the person began name-calling his mother.

• Street camera footage showed the 18-year-old Canadian throwing two punches near the Pugh Street parking garage, according to police.

• McKenna was arraigned Wednesday and released on $20,000 unsecured bail. He faces additional charges of misdemeanor simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct.

• His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 11, two days before Penn State’s next game at Michigan. The university declined further comment, citing the ongoing legal matter.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.

This story was originally published February 5, 2026 at 11:28 AM.