Future Penn State men's hockey forward Gavin McKenna has a big year ahead of him. Not only is it his draft year, one where he's projected to go No. 1 overall as of now, but it's his first time playing in the NCAA. He told reporters on Tuesday, July 29 that the Nittany Lions will be a fresh start for him, a shift in his career to set him up for the long run as a pro.
McKenna committed to Penn State on July 8. The 17-year-old is coming to Hockey Valley off a 129-point 2024-25 season with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League. However, he'll need to adjust to the NCAA lifestyle from the new hockey regime to the campus life in itself. Head coach Guy Gadowsky said people shouldn't expect McKenna to come out of the gate as Penn State's top scorer from game one.
"The NCAA, it's a bigger, heavier league. Obviously this summer's a big one for me," McKenna said. "I want to put on some weight . . . and [be] more pro ready . . . it's a bigger game, faster game. I want to work on my speed."
College will be his time to develop into a stronger and heavier player. McKenna said to reporters on Tuesday that the defensive side of his game, specifically, is what he wants to improve on. Since college is much more similar to the NHL than junior league hockey is to the NCAA, players can't be one dimensional. Entering a year with a talented Big Ten, the conference will especially challenge the young talent in taking that next step in his game.
"The Big Ten's pretty stacked this year," McKenna said. "It's going to be a tough conference, but I'm excited."
He could have had a similar Big Ten experience as a Michigan State Spartan. But Penn State and McKenna's goals and journey aligned, leading him to choose the Nittany Lions. Just how he plans on growing into a better player, though, he wanted to be part of a program that was growing into a competitive and serious entity in the college hockey scene.
"I'm kind of a guy who likes to pave his own path in a way. I think Penn State, the biggest reason I [committed] there was because [of] seeing what they did last year to go to the Frozen Four, being a newer type of school up-and-coming, it's exciting being a part of that," McKenna said. "I think they have a chance to win it, so that was a huge part of my decision and getting to play with some pretty amazing players . . . They've got the team to do it."