Penn State men's hockey looks very new heading into the 2026-27 season with a handful of forwards not returning and a few defensemen as well. The Nittany Lions have neither a solid four lines nor three pairs, and the star player they had in forward Gavin McKenna is now with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It won't be easy replacing a generational talent, but Penn State will surely try. Ahead of the season, head coach Guy Gadowsky added seven forwards, three defenseman, and two goaltenders to his roster. Twelve new players is quite the number. When paired with returning talent in forwards Luke Misa, Reese Laubach, and Lev Katzin, defensemen Mac Gadowsky and Jackson Smith, and goaltender Josh Fleming, the blue and white hope this new crew will fill in the gaps and get adapted quickly.
Penn State men's hockey adds 12 new players to 2026-27 roster
Forward Shea Busch
- 2025 NHL Draft: Florida Panthers, Round 4 (No. 128 overall)
- Previous Team: Everett Silvertips (WHL, 2025-26)
Last season Busch logged 18 points on 13 goals and five assists across 12 games. He and the Silvertips were WHL Champions last season. He adds to the deep CHL talent Gadowsky has leaned on the past few seasons.
Forward Kale Dach
- 2025 NHL Draft: Pittsburgh Penguins, Round 7 (No. 201 overall)
- Previous Team: Calgary Hitmen (WHL, 2025-26)
In 63 contests, Dach totaled 75 points on 34 goals and 41 assists. He was a WHL Second Team All-Star. In 2024-25 when he played in the BCHL, he earned First Team All-Star recognition.
Forward Andrew Kuzma
- 2023 NHL Draft: Undrafted
- Previous Team: Kingston Frontenacs and Erie Otters (OHL, 2025-26)
Kuzma isn't necessarily new to Hockey Valley, though he didn't play for Penn State last year. He spent the 2024-25 season as a Nittany Lion before going back to the OHL to play for the Kingston Frontenacs and Erie Otters. With Kingston, he had 20 points (12 goals, eight assists) over 39 games; and with Erie, he had 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists) across 30 contests.
He didn't see any game action when he was first at Penn State.
- 2024 NHL Draft: Undrafted
- Previous Team: Newfoundland Regiment (2025-26)
Larose was a sudden addition to the roster after he spent the last year or so committed to Michigan. The two parted ways late this summer, and the Nittany Lions swooped in to take him. Larose logged 88 points on 32 goals and 56 assists across 64 games for the Regiment in 2025-26.
Forward Kaden Pitre
- 2024 NHL Draft: Tampa Bay Lightning, Round 6 (No. 181 overall)
- Previous Team: Flint Firebirds and North Bay Battalion (2025-26)
Pitre totaled 37 points on 13 goals and 24 assists across 37 contests with the Battalion. At his first stop of the season with the Firebirds, he had seven points on five goals and two assists over 12 games.
Forward Justin Poirier
- 2024 NHL Draft: Carolina Hurricanes, Round 5 (No. 156 overall)
- Previous Team: Maine (NCAA, 2025-26)
Poirier had 29 points in 27 games on 18 goals and 11 assists as a Black Bear last season. He is one of two newcomers to Penn State whose last stop was another NCAA team. That Hockey East experience can be useful on a roster that's primarily made up of CHL players and newbies.
Forward Marco Mignosa
- 2025 NHL Draft: Tampa Bay Lightning, Round 7 (No. 215 overall)
- Previous Team: Soo Greyhounds (OHL, 2021-26)
Mignosa tallied 89 points in 65 games in 2025-26 on 35 goals and 54 assists. He earned a Second Team All-Star nod and was sixth in the OHL in scoring. The Greyhounds named Mignose their MVP two times.
Defenseman Caeden Herrington
- 2025 NHL Draft: Los Angeles Kings, Round 4 (No. 120 overall)
- Previous Team: Vermont (NCAA, 2025-26)
Across 34 games, Herrington had eight points on one goal and seven assists. Though he brings Hockey East experience over to the Big Ten, the Cavalliers aren't necessarily a top team in that conference. Vermont has struggled over the last handful of seasons, so this will hopefully be a step up for the 2025 fourth-round pick.
Defenseman Ethan Weber
- 2025 NHL Draft: Undrafted
- Previous Team: Penticton Vees (WHL, 2025-26)
Weber had 51 points on 14 goals and 37 assists in 68 games. He was a USHL Anderson Cup Champion in 2025 and the WHL B.C. Division Champion in 2026. He also led the Penticton defense in scoring. Scoring defensemen are critical at the NCAA level, especially.
Defenseman Charlie Michaud
- Previous Team: Miami (Ohio) and Penticton Vees (NCAA and WHL, 2025-26)
Michaud started his 15 assists over 35 games. Played six games at Miami (Ohio). Expect to see Michaud scratched early on in the season behind the deep CHL talent and transfers.
Goaltender Ryder Fetterolf
- 2026 NHL Draft: Carolina Hurricanes, Round 4 (No. 125 overall)
- Previous Team: Ottawa 67's (OHL, 2025-26)
Fetterolf is a strong backup to Fleming. He finished the 2025-26 season with a 0.923 save percentage and tallied 1,103 saves over 41 contests. He allowed 84 goals and had a 2.07 goals allowed average. He held a 29-9-3 record with the 67's.
Goaltender Crew Petty
- Previous Team: Gilmour Academy (USHS-Prep and MPHL, 2025-26)
In the MPHL, Petty had a 0.954 save percentage over four games, which included 62 saves, three goals allowed, two shutouts, and a 0.79 goals allowed on average. He held an undefeated record, though it's only four contests. His 24-9-0 record at the prep level, however, is better to base judgment on. He had a 0.919 save percentage over 33 games that included 742 saves, 65 goals allowed, five shutouts, and 2.19 goals allowed on average. Petty provides good depth in that goaltender room.
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