NCAA Rule Change Enables Penn State to Land McKenna

Seventeen-year-old Gavin McKenna, the consensus top prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft, is set to join Penn State University’s men’s hockey team in a move made possible by a recent NCAA rule change allowing Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players to compete in college hockey. McKenna scored 41 goals and 129 points in a record-breaking season with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, maintained a 54-game scoring streak, and earned both WHL and CHL player of the year honors—an achievement previously matched only by Sidney Crosby and John Tavares. After visiting both campuses, McKenna chose Penn State over Michigan State. His commitment is considered the biggest in Penn State's hockey history and marks a transformative moment for the program and the broader college hockey landscape. McKenna will join a surging team that reached its first Frozen Four last season and will play alongside other top recruits, including NHL first-round pick Jackson Smith. Penn State is now viewed as an emerging powerhouse in NCAA hockey.