No. 6 Penn State men's hockey comes off a disheartening loss to then-ranked No. 2 Michigan State. Since that weekend, the Spartans split a series with Michigan and earned the No. 1 spot on the updated USCHO Division I Men's Poll as of Feb. 9. As a result, the Wolverines dropped to second in the rankings. Unfortunately for the Nittany Lions, that doesn't mean the competition gets any easier.
Gavin McKenna's rescheduled preliminary hearing is bad timing for Penn State hockey
The blue and white hit the road for their next series. Taking the ice at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich., they will be battle tested as they seek to bounce back from their Michigan State misfortunes.
Ahead of the two games, forward Gavin McKenna put Penn State in a murky situation. He engaged in an altercation on Saturday, Jan. 31 that resulted in him facing four charges. The Centre County District Attorney's Office dropped the felony charge, but he still faces charges of misdemeanor simple assault and two summary counts of disorderly conduct. His preliminary hearing was pushed back from Wednesday, Feb. 11 to Wednesday, March 11.
The status of his availability for the Nittany Lions was unknown up until the beginning of the week ahead of Michigan. Head coach Guy Gadowsky gave an update on the situation.
Guy Gadowsky says Gavin McKenna will be available for any and all Penn State athletics activities
“[McKenna] will participate in all, and continue to participate in all, athletically related activities," Gadowsky said when asked about McKenna's availability.
He also said he would not comment on the legal matter itself as its ongoing. College hockey report Brad Elliott Schlossman also reported on Tuesday, Feb. 10 that NHL scouts were informed that the true freshman forward was expected to play versus the Wolverines.
NHL scouts have been informed that Penn State F Gavin McKenna is expected to play this weekend against Michigan.
— Brad Elliott Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) February 10, 2026
Having McKenna on the ice is a huge plus for the Nittany Lions. They suffered a loss from their group of forwards as Charlie Cerrato sustained a season-ending injury in January. Gadowsky said he hopes Cerrato will be available for the postseason, but no updates have been revealed since the end of January.
McKenna registered 11 goals and 21 assists over 24 games in 2025-26. He holds a .120 shot percentage and two blocks as well.
While Penn State has the depth on its roster, replacing McKenna is a huge ask when facing a top two team in the country. His availability for the weekend and rest of the season gives hope for the Nittany Lions to not sustain four consecutive losses.