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2026 NHL Draft

What We Learned From Gavin McKenna's First College Hockey Weekend

What We Learned From Gavin McKenna's First College Hockey Weekend

Gavin McKenna lived up to expectations and so did Penn State, but what did we learn from his college hockey debut? Chris Peters examines.

Oct 5, 2025 by Chris Peters
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Perhaps the most anticipated collegiate debut in NCAA hockey history is in the books. Top 2026 NHL Draft prospect Gavin McKenna played his first two college hockey games this weekend as he helped No. 5 Penn State earn a season-opening road sweep of the No. 14 Arizona State Sun Devils. 

McKenna had two assists on opening night as the Nittany Lions earned a 6-3 win. Then he got to play hero on Night 2, scoring the late game-winner on a one-timer on the power play for his first collegiate goal.

The 17-year-old Whitehorse, Yukon Territory native even showed that while he may be new to the college game, he understands the assignment of being a villain in enemy territory. After scoring the goal, he took his right hand out of his glove and displayed ASU’s familiar Forks Up hand signal before emphatically pointing them down.

After getting booed just about every time he touched the puck on the first night, he felt like it was time to give a little back to the opposing fans – especially the student section. They earned a few more taunts from No. 72 in white when the final buzzer sounded.

There is so much attention and hype surrounding McKenna that you had to openly wonder how he would handle it. If the first weekend was any indication, he’s going to be just fine.

Let’s take a look at what we learned from McKenna’s first weekend in college hockey.

So, Yeah, This Was A Big Deal

Gavin McKenna, for a couple of nights, was the central focus of the hockey world. The NHL, sensing the importance of getting one of their future stars in front of as large an audience as possible, struck a deal with the NCHC and ASU’s local broadcast to simulcast the first two games on NHL Network, but took it even a step further. The NHL also streamed the game for free on its YouTube channel worldwide, making the game quite easily accessible.

Friday night’s game has already been viewed more than 93,000 times on YouTube alone, with Saturdays showing somewhere around 25,000.

While those aren’t eye-popping numbers in terms of TV ratings and things of that nature, it’s far more than would have seen it if the NHL didn’t get it on a YouTube channel that has 2.4 million subscribers. 

The other thing that I think this shows is that McKenna coming to U.S. college hockey represents a different kind of opportunity for the NHL. Big-school programs like Penn State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and more with humongous alumni bases and student bodies offer the NHL some different opportunities in the American market.

If more of their future stars are going to play at that level, it does suggest opportunities to reach new fans and generate more interest in the sport at large exist in perhaps a more meaningful way.

McKenna’s arrival at Penn State was announced on ESPN SportsCenter. It has made headlines in ways that many players do not this early in a draft season. People are paying attention and the NHL has clearly made a decision that they want to feed that growing appetite.

The Transition Is Going Smoothly

Not that anyone would have expected anything different from the reigning CHL Player of the Year, but Gavin McKenna looked as comfortable as one could in their collegiate debut. His set-up on Penn State’s first goal of the season off the stick of Aiden Fink was one we’d seen countless times with the Medicine Hat Tigers over the last few years. He sold shot, then dished it wide to an open Fink for the easy one-timer. 

He settled in easily to PSU’s top power play unit and every time he touched the puck, people were holding their breath. 

On night one, McKenna had six total shot attempts. In his second game, he had nine, five of which were on net.

His power-play one-knee one-timer to put Penn State ahead 3-2 on Saturday was another thing we’ve seen plenty from him before. 

He may be the youngest player on his team and one of the youngest in the nation, but Penn State’s veteran players wanted the puck in his hands as much as possible. It was a good strategy. He made things happen with it.

As McKenna gets more comfortable and figures things out a bit more, the speed at which he processes the game and the speed he can play with will only be more evident. As he builds strength, he’ll be tougher to play against. But one thing that was clear already: He’s enjoying this.

If there’s one thing a shorter schedule in college gives players, it’s the sense that every single game matters. The opportunity to reach the NCAA tournament hangs in the balance of just about every game – especially non-conference games. 

The reactions of the players and McKenna himself when Penn State iced Saturday night’s victory with an empty-net goal said it all. This is not simply a place for him to play his draft year. He wants to make something happen here.

The Supporting Cast Is More Than Okay

One question that some people may have had was what was Penn State going to surround McKenna with? Many figured he would play with the top returning scorer in college hockey, Aiden Fink. And he is. Additionally veteran center Reese Laubach is playing between those two talented wingers.

In the opening night win, McKenna was upstaged by Carolina Hurricanes draft pick Charlie Cerrato who had five points in the 6-3 win Friday. Matt DiMarsico, a standout from the Nittany Lions run last postseason, scored three goals and added an assist over the weekend. Sophomore standout JJ Wiebusch scored a clutch goal Saturday and finished the weekend with four points.

Meanwhile, goalie Kevin Reidler was a major bright spot. The Ottawa Senators draft pick stopped 80 of 85 shots for a .941 save percentage in the sweep. He had played just eight games all of last season with Nebraska Omaha and was a major question mark coming into the season as a transfer replacement for the excellent Arsenii Sergeev who signed a pro deal in the offseason. This was a good first impression for Reidler.

On another note, Columbus Blue Jackets first-round pick and freshman defenseman Jackson Smith did not play this weekend due to illness, so the team is probably going to get better when he’s healthy.

You don’t want to read too much into opening weekend. I’ve had a general rule: October results barely matter in college hockey. Teams are only just starting to gel and get things figured out. That said, since the NCAA started allowing teams more practice time before the season, the quality of October hockey has been better.

Winning on the road isn’t easy regardless of time of year or opponent. This was a great start for the program and a really great start for their prized recruit.

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