What Gavin McKenna means for the present and future of Penn State hockey
Gavin McKenna officially announced his commitment to Penn State on Tuesday, a decision that could change the trajectory of the program moving forward. The Nittany Lions made their first run to the Frozen Four this season, giving those around the program the belief that it can turn into a national power — and the ammunition to go to recruits and sell them on that upside.
McKenna is not the first big-time recruit to commit to PSU this offseason — Jackson Smith is also joining the program after going in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft. And he’s not even the only elite offensive talent to be connected to the program through the rumor mill, with Porter Martone (No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft) and Michael Misa (No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft whose brother Luke is committed to PSU) also being connected.
But McKenna — who’s been called a generational hockey talent in the same league as superstars such as Sidney Crosby and Connor Bedard — is the biggest fish of them all. So how will he impact the program? Let’s take a look.
Immediate impact with the Nittany Lions
Penn State immediately vaults itself into being at the highest end of national title contenders with McKenna on the ice. The Nittany Lions were already expected to be one of the leading favorites to return to the Frozen Four, but this should put them atop the college hockey world. McKenna, barring a stunning turn of events, is only going to play one year of college hockey, but will have a chance to make a massive impact on the Nittany Lions in that time.
He’ll step in immediately as the team’s best player and should compete for the Hobey Baker Award, which goes to the best player in college hockey. McKenna will likely lead the team in points this season, and should be one of the most electrifying players in the sport. He’ll combine with fellow newcomers like Smith and Mac Gadowsky (son of PSU head coach Guy Gadowsky) and all of the team’s returning talent from the Frozen Four roster to form what should be the best team in the Big Ten.
What it means moving forward
The long-term impact of McKenna’s addition could change the fate of Penn State hockey. The program has already rapidly ascended since it joined the NCAA in 2012, and this could establish it as a perennial power atop the sport. There is the obvious on-ice McKenna can have if he leads the team to another Frozen Four and potentially a national title, but there’s a long-term impact that will greatly impact recruiting. Future recruits will be able to trust that they can go to the Nittany Lions if they want to solidify their professional status, as long as McKenna has success.
It would be difficult to imagine this not making the program a destination one moving forward in the sport.
There’s also the lower-level impact this will have — like when he inevitably goes No. 1 overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. When that happens, it will be a Penn State logo on the screen, and Penn State videos being played when they show his highlights from his lone year in college.
And then there’s the revenue sharing impact. If the Nittany Lions are willing to invest revenue-sharing money or focus NIL money on an elite talent like McKenna, that will surely draw the attention of other elite hockey prospects and bring the program into conversations they may not be involved in with those types of players down the road.
