Gavin McKenna isn’t going to be with Penn State long.
But the presumed No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft has proven already how special he is for the Nittany Lions, even if it’s just for this season.
Through six games, the 17-year old has six points for Penn State. He has scored one goal, dished out five assists and put 22 shots on goal.
“In the offensive zone he’s a wizard out there and you can see that in his game,” NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr said on the NHL’s official draft podcast. “There’s other parts of the game with the timing, the pace, the up and down there, that he’s going to figure out in short order. But it’s not like he’s lost out there. He’s just got to adapt to the league just like anybody that moves upward in their league. But I think one of the most important parts is he’s going to have the time to physically develop himself.”
McKenna played for Medicine Hat in the WHL for the past couple seasons. Last year, in 56 games, he had 41 goals and 88 assists (129 points).
This season, Penn State is off to a 5-1 start. The Nittany Lions have swept Arizona State and Long Island University, but they split with Clarkson.
They’ll be back home on Friday and Saturday for a weekend doubleheader against Stonehill.
Big Ten play opens on Thursday, Oct. 30 for Penn State when the Nittany Lions begin a two-game series at Ohio State.
McKenna will continue to draw attention, but he certainly seems worthy of it.
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