Why Gavin McKenna can help lead Penn State men’s hockey to its first NCAA title
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Gavin McKenna's arrival positions Penn State as a top NCAA hockey contender.
- McKenna's skill, mindset and team-first approach fuel high preseason hopes.
- Coaches and teammates praise his maturity amid hype and NHL draft buzz.
Gavin McKenna didn’t know if he was going to play college hockey. But he did know where he would play if he did.
“In January, I thought if I was ever gonna go to college it was going to be Penn State,” he said at Monday’s Penn State men’s hockey media day. “I don’t know why, but I had that gut feeling.”
The hockey phenom fell in love with Penn State and is now tasked with helping lead the team further than it’s ever gone in the postseason — to a national title.
The Nittany Lions made the Frozen Four last season and that could serve as a launching point for them. And while McKenna had that gut feeling, it was making it to campus that sealed the deal.
“As soon as I saw this place, I kind of knew I was coming here,” he said. “ ... When I came here and saw the campus and all the facilities we’ve got and all the resources, it was pretty hard to say no. I met some of the guys. I got taken out to dinner. So I think when you meet those guys and have conversations with them, you kind of get a feel of whether it’s a good locker room or not. And I had a lot of fun, and I knew these are guys I wanted to surround myself with.”
McKenna has already created a buzz on campus. The Roar Zone, the program’s student section, is one of the best in the country and now it will have the ammunition of rooting for the future No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
That much anticipation can create expectations that are overwhelming — especially for a 17-year-old. But McKenna isn’t just any teenager. He’s been dealing with the hype and expectations for years, and has learned how to navigate it and the best ways to make sure it doesn’t impact anything negatively.
“I think the big thing is just not getting complacent,” he said. “I think with the group we got, it’s very competitive in practices and everything, so I can’t see complacency coming into our locker room. But if it does, I think it’s just gonna be a big thing that we don’t let happen.”
It’s not just McKenna who will be dealing with those expectations. It will be the entire team. There are several returners from last year’s Frozen Four team that would already be facing them, but the phenom’s addition has only made them even higher. The team is the current favorite to win the national title and it’s easy to see why.
But that’s not anything head coach Guy Gadowsky has had to address.
“I think that’s why a lot of people come to Penn State,” Gadowsky said. “I don’t think if you’re an athlete, you come to Penn State if that’s not what you want. You’d much rather be in a position where you have expectations than if you don’t. And I think a lot of athletes come to Penn State because they don’t mind those expectations. Starting from scratch here, it hasn’t been that long — a little over a decade — I think these are the days we were looking forward to.”
Penn State will now become one of the focal points of the college hockey world, with McKenna as the centerpiece. NHL scouts will flock to Pegula Ice Arena to watch him play and fans will come in droves to see a generational prospect take the ice. It would be easy for him to view himself as above the collective, given how much of a celebrity he’s already become.
But instead the opposite has been the case. Forward and team captain Dane Dowiak said as much Monday.
“He’s an unbelievable kid,” Dowiak said. “There’s a lot of hype around him, obviously. He’s an unbelievable player, but the person he is, it shows a lot about how he was raised and where he comes from. And with all the hype he has, he’s just a normal guy. In the locker room, it’s not any different than if I was talking to [teammate Aiden Fink] or just anybody else. He’s handled it all with with pride with Penn State. I think he wants to be here. It’s not just a stop for him. He wants to win here. And I think he’s handled it really well.”
That willingness to fit in is important in building team chemistry, but it’s his ability to stand out that will be crucial when he hits the ice. McKenna’s speed, skill and ability to manipulate the pace of a game can change a loss into a win in the blink of an eye.
He’s the type of special talent that even Gadowsky leaves alone when it comes to controlling the puck — and tries to help with the other aspects.
“As far as coaching him, it’s a matter of not to tell him what to do with the puck,” Gadowsky said. “It’s going to be reminding him of the habits that he needs without the puck at the next level. ... It’s certainly not going to be trying to understand his mind, because we’ve never seen anything like that. I can’t explain how he does what he does with the puck. I can only observe it.”
McKenna’s stay will be a short one — he’s a near-lock to leave after his freshman year for the NHL — but it could be a special one. The kind that could end with him earning individual accolades and praise.
And with the team hoisting the NCAA title.
