CHL's McKenna to Play at Penn State

The best player in the Canadian Hockey League will be playing in the NCAA this upcoming season.

Gavin McKenna, who led the Medicine Hat Tigers to a Western Hockey league playoff title and an appearance in the 2025 Memorial Cup final, will skate at Penn State University for the 2025-26 campaign. The six-foot center from Whitehorse, Yukon tallied 41 goals and 88 assists for 129 points in just 56 games this past season, and was named the CHL Player of the Year. In three years with the Tigers, he posted 79-165—244 points in 133 career WHL regular-season outings, plus 12-33—45 points in 25 postseason appearances. He also helped Team Canada to gold medals at both the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship and the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

McKenna, 17, who is projected to be selected first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, is the highest-profile signing to date since the NCAA allowed CHL/major junior players to be eligible to play American college hockey late last year. 

Penn State, which finished 22-14-4 overall last season (9-11-4 Big Ten Conference), is also coming off the first NCAA Frozen Four appearance in the school's varsity history.