PHILADELPHIA — Penn State knows a thing or two about landing a top recruit. From Derrick Williams to Christian Hackenberg to Miles Sanders to Micah Parsons, the Nittany Lions have landed their fair share of blue-chippers through the years.
Gavin McKenna might be bigger than them all.
But you won’t find McKennaÃÛèÖÊÓƵ name scrolling through any football databaseÃÛèÖÊÓƵ recruiting rankings. Why? McKenna is a hockey player. To be more precise, the 17-year-old winger is a hockey prodigy. And according to a report from Elite Prospects, McKenna is now bound for Happy Valley and will make his oral pledge to Penn State for the 2025-26 season. Jeff Marek, the host of “The Sheet†on Daily Faceoff, later reported that an official announcement is expected on Tuesday.
The winger, who recently visited Penn State and Michigan State, had reportedly narrowed his decision down to the two schools in recent weeks. He will be the most anticipated recruit to ever play college hockey.
McKenna, who tallied 50 goals and 167 points in 72 games, including playoffs, last season for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League, is all but guaranteed to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft. Teams are already queuing up for the generational talent, who was granted exceptional status to play in the WHL as a 15-year-old, with even fringe-lottery teams reluctant to part with 2026 first-round picks in trades.
The phenomÃÛèÖÊÓƵ committing to Penn State would not have been allowed a year ago because of NCAA rules. In November, the NCAA passed a rule change granting Canadian Hockey League junior players eligibility to play college hockey beginning next season, provided they weren’t “paid more than actual and necessary expenses as part of that participation.â€
While several top CHL players have already made the jump to NCAA programs for next season, McKenna is the first bona fide superstar to do so, and his decision could trigger a monumental shift to the hockey development ladder.
On the surface, the ruling should be a huge boon for NCAA hockey, which will get more op players from the WHL, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, while the CHL could stand to lose some of its top players for their final year or two, as the money and opportunities for Canadians at the NCAA level seem likely to make it the most desirable and potentially the best developmental option for top prospects.
This could also have a trickle-down effect on the top American junior league, the United States Hockey League, which is already losing players to the CHL now that joining that league doesn’t require them to relinquish their collegiate eligibility.
Long known as a blue blood on the gridiron, Penn State now has a hockey program that has generated considerable momentum recently and was on an upward trajectory, even before McKennaÃÛèÖÊÓƵ pledge. The Nittany Lions reached the Frozen Four for the first time in program history this past March under coach Guy Gadowsky and have been one of the early winners in the new-look landscape of college hockey recruiting.
Penn State recently landed commitments from defenseman Jackson Smith, the 14th overall pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the recent draft; one of the top players in the transfer portal, defenseman Mac Gadowsky, the son of Guy Gadowsky; and forward Luke Misa, the older brother of No. 2 overall pick Michael Misa and a Calgary Flames draft pick.
Forward Pierce Mbuyi, a projected 2026 first-rounder, will enroll at Happy Valley for the 2026-27 season, too. Not bad for a program that has had Division I hockey for only 13 years.
But while Penn State had done some serious damage on the recruiting trail, McKenna represents the crown jewel for Terry and Kim Pegula, whose financial backing — they donated $102 million in 2012 — was instrumental in PSUÃÛèÖÊÓƵ move to D-1 and the construction of the state-of-the-art Pegula Ice Arena, which opened in 2013 and houses the menÃÛèÖÊÓƵ and womenÃÛèÖÊÓƵ hockey programs.
Terry Pegula, a Penn State alumnus who owns the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bills, has made no secret about helping Penn State continue to build on its recent success and attract top players in the age of name, image and likeness. PSU might not be done either, as it has been linked with Flyers prospect Porter Martone. Martone, the No. 6 overall pick in the recent NHL draft, was Luka MisaÃÛèÖÊÓƵ teammate last season with the Brampton Steel Heads.
When asked Sunday at development camp about MartoneÃÛèÖÊÓƵ future and the potential of his going the NCAA route, Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said:
“MartoneÃÛèÖÊÓƵ obviously got all kinds of offers. He wants to play in the NHL, and thatÃÛèÖÊÓƵ a discussion we’ll have to have with his agent. As much as we want him to play, we’ve just got to make sure we do whatÃÛèÖÊÓƵ best for him. But we’ll figure that out here in the coming weeks and see what he wants to do, his people, and his family, and go from there.â€
Whether Martone will join McKenna remains to be seen, but make no mistake about it: Monday was a landmark day for Penn State, NCAA hockey, and the future of the sport at large. Now, we wait to see just how many other top CHL players will follow McKennaÃÛèÖÊÓƵ lead south.
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