Gavin McKenna signs first major brand deal before first puck drop of his NCAA career

Penn State men's hockey's star forward, who has yet to even put his skate down in a collegiate contest, Gavin McKenna is already a big deal. Not only is he drawing in massive attention and putting the Nittany Lions in front of the whole world via NHL Network, but McKenna is already inking brand deals.

Nine hours before first puck drop of Penn State's season, Topps announced via social media that the brand signed McKenna to a trading card and autograph deal.

Gavin McKenna inks first brand deal of his NCAA career with Topps

Topps' hockey selection is slim. It has a 2024-25 NHL Sticker Collection and close to nothing else. With Bowman U NOW® Hockey, the brand is set to release trading cards. McKenna will undoubtedly be featured along with other college hockey stars. The cards will be available for 72 hours on Topps.com and fans can sign up to be notified here.

This deal is just one of many that McKenna will sign. A generational talent doesn't roll around everyday and brands will want to get the prodigy in their hands as soon as possible. For Topps, it got there before the season even started. Expect to see more deals coming in soon and all eyes on Penn State. Heads are turning for the true freshman — not just fans of the blue and white, and not just college hockey fans either.

Especially if McKenna shines early on in the season, the Nittany Lions are going to get a lot of attention fast. More viewership and exposure will only boost the program for the future. Just as McKenna is in good hands at Penn State, the team is in good hands with its generational prodigy.

The Nittany Lions take the ice for the first time in the 2025-26 season on Friday, Oct 3. Puck drop against Arizona State is slated for 10 p.m. ET and the game can be watched on NHL Network or via its YouTube channel. Friday night opens the two-game series against the Sun Devils at Arizona State. Saturday night's game will start at 9 p.m. ET.