Penn State men's hockey isn't wasting any time in the offseason. Head coach Guy Gadowsky already brought in a transfer on the first day the portal opened.
Penn State men's hockey loses first defenseman to Transfer Portal
Defenseman Caeden Herrington has three years of eligibility remaining after taking his freshman season at Vermont. This addition comes after rising junior defenseman Cade Christenson entered the Transfer Portal.
Herrington was a Round 4 pick of the 2025 NHL Draft, going 120th overall to the Los Angeles Kings. During his freshman campaign as a Catamount, he played in 34 games, registering eight points on one goal and seven assists as well as 20 blocks.
Vermont fell flat in 2025-26 and has struggled finding its identity in almost a decade. It finished 13-21-3 overall and 8-15-1 in Hockey East, ranking 11th in the conference. Head coach Steve Wilder has yet to find the right combination of players and personnel that can compete in one of the NCAA's best conferences.
For Herrington, entering the portal gives him an opportunity to grow his career elsewhere with a good amount of eligibility left rather than waiting on the Catamounts to spark — something that might not happen during his collegiate stint.
The Nittany Lions' defense is packed with talent from rising seniors Mac Gadowsky and Casey Aman to sophomores Jackson Smith and Nick Fascia. It's a room where Herrington can grow, develop, and compete.
For Penn State, the addition of Herrington perfectly fills the hole that Christenson left the same day. The rising sophomore pairs well with the blue and white's young d-core that can easily filter into the veterans' spots once they graduate and/or sign after 2026-27.
The Nittany Lions seek improvement after falling short in 2025-26, not meeting well-attainable goals. The likelihood of freshman forward Gavin McKenna returning for year two is slim, so Gadowsky must quickly pick up standout transfers as they enter the portal.
Penn State currently has three players in the Transfer Portal, including Christenson. Forwards Nic Chin-DeGraves and J.J. Wiebusch also entered on April 13, which was expected from both after declaring their intentions on doing so.
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