Gavin McKenna, a projected prime choose within the 2026 NHL Draft, has reportedly determined to attend Pennsylvania State College this fall, in keeping with a report from Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects. The five-star dedication is probably the most important signing for a program that started in 1971 however returned to Division I standing in 2013 with the addition of the amenities at Pegula Ice Area. The choice got here right down to Penn State versus Michigan State within the battle for McKenna’s providers throughout his pre-draft seasons after a number of seasons with the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Drugs Hat Tigers.
BREAKING: A number of sources point out that Gavin McKenna will decide to Penn State College for 2025-26
Probably the most electrifying prospects chooses the Nittany Lions. A game-changing get for PSU hockey.
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— Cam Robinson (@Hockey_Robinson) July 7, 2025
The 17-year-old heart scored 41 goals and totaled 129 points in 56 video games for the Tigers in his second full season with the membership. McKenna led the Tigers to the Ed Chynoweth Cup because the WHL Champions. Drugs Hat earned a spot on the 2025 Memorial Cup however watched the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) London Knights have a good time the a hundred and fifth Memorial Cup victory lap.
Associated: Knights Pull Off 4-1 Win Over Tigers To Win 2025 Memorial Cup
McKenna joins a number of different high-level athletes to decide to Penn State this offseason to chase an NCAA Division I Males’s Ice Hockey Championship this fall. Ahead Luke Misa, a Calgary Flames draft choose, left the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads for Penn State earlier this summer season. Defenseman Jackson Smith introduced his intention to put on the blue and white colours of the Nittany Lions earlier than he was chosen within the first spherical of the 2025 NHL Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Smith arrives from the Tri-Metropolis Individuals in america Hockey League (USHL), as one in all many NHL-hopeful gamers exploring the NCAA pathway to the NHL.
These three gamers are becoming a member of a hockey program with a core that made an announcement throughout a stunning run to the Last 4 final spring. Junior Aiden Fink, a Nashville Predators draft choice in 2023, averaged 1.32 points-per-game (P/G) with 53 factors over 40 video games as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, an honor introduced to the highest participant in NCAA Division I males’s ice hockey. Charlie Cerrato, a second-round choose by the Carolina Hurricanes within the 2025 NHL Draft, returns after a 1.11 P/G marketing campaign following 15 targets and 42 factors.
Penn State now includes a roster that may go head-to-head with Michigan State, Boston College, Boston Faculty, and others. The Nittany Lions will probably be seeking to skate their method to a return look on the Frozen 4 in Las Vegas in April 2026.
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