Gavin McKenna, a projected top pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, has reportedly decided to attend Pennsylvania State University this fall, according to a report from Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects. The five-star commitment is the most significant signing for a program that began in 1971 but returned to Division I status in 2013 with the addition of the facilities at Pegula Ice Arena. The decision came down to Penn State versus Michigan State in the battle for McKenna’s services during his pre-draft seasons after several seasons with the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Medicine Hat Tigers.
BREAKING: Multiple sources indicate that Gavin McKenna will commit to Penn State University for 2025-26
One of the most electrifying prospects chooses the Nittany Lions. A game-changing get for PSU hockey.
Read more: https://t.co/5L6NFs8rqq pic.twitter.com/8KodDOh5nW
— Cam Robinson (@Hockey_Robinson) July 7, 2025
The 17-year-old center scored 41 goals and totaled 129 points in 56 games for the Tigers in his second full season with the club. McKenna led the Tigers to the Ed Chynoweth Cup as the WHL Champions. Medicine Hat earned a spot at the 2025 Memorial Cup but watched the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) London Knights celebrate the 105th Memorial Cup victory lap.
Related: Knights Pull Off 4-1 Win Over Tigers To Win 2025 Memorial Cup
McKenna joins several other high-level athletes to commit to Penn State this offseason to chase an NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship this fall. Forward Luke Misa, a Calgary Flames draft pick, left the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads for Penn State earlier this summer. Defenseman Jackson Smith announced his intention to wear the blue and white colors of the Nittany Lions before he was selected in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Smith arrives from the Tri-City Americans in the United States Hockey League (USHL), as one of many NHL-hopeful players exploring the NCAA pathway to the NHL.
Those three players are joining a hockey program with a core that made a statement during a shocking run to the Final Four last spring. Junior Aiden Fink, a Nashville Predators draft selection in 2023, averaged 1.32 points-per-game (P/G) with 53 points over 40 games as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, an honor presented to the top player in NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey. Charlie Cerrato, a second-round pick by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2025 NHL Draft, returns after a 1.11 P/G campaign following 15 goals and 42 points.
Penn State now features a roster that can go head-to-head with Michigan State, Boston University, Boston College, and others. The Nittany Lions will be looking to skate their way to a return appearance at the Frozen Four in Las Vegas in April 2026.
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