Penn State men's hockey is down yet another player due to the Transfer Portal. Forward J.J. Wiebusch announced his plans on entering the portal after two seasons in Hockey Valley, and another forward is right behind him.
Transfer Portal hits Penn State hockey hard when it needed stability the most
Per reports, forward Nic Chin-DeGraves will enter the Transfer Portal when it opens on Monday, April 13. Chin-DeGraves spent his first two collegiate seasons as a Nittany Lion.
CHL2NCAA is known to have great sources. It seems PSU has lost another forward. https://t.co/ef06CAco1Q
— Matt Becker (@mattbecker250) April 7, 2026
Forward Nic Chin-Degraves intends on entering the Transfer Portal, leaving Penn State's forward group even sparser
The rising junior finished the 2025-26 season with nine points on three goals and six assists. He also had 33 blocks across 37 games. As a consistent fourth-liner center for the Nittany Lions, Chin-DeGraves also 182-of-200 faceoffs, which was good for 47.6 percent of draws at the dot.
He is now the sixth forward leaving Penn State with a potential seventh on the way in freshman standout Gavin McKenna. McKenna's fate will be determined following the 2026 NHL Draft, but it is likely that he is a one-and-done at the NCAA level.
Dane Dowiak, Reese Laubach, Keaton Peters, Braedon Ford, Luke Misa, and Lev Katzin are the remaining forwards on Penn State's roster. Dowiak and Laubach returning is huge from a veteran leadership standpoint, but losing young talent in guys like Chin-DeGraves, Wiebusch, and Charlie Cerrato (not to mention McKenna) can be difficult to replace fully.
Chin-DeGraves is an undrafted free agent who can likely find better opportunities at other programs. While he didn't go unnoticed at Penn State, finding a school where he can slot into the top two lines for his junior season, if not also his senior year, can benefit his career long-term.
The Nittany Lions also lost junior forwards Matt DiMarsico and Aiden Fink after the 2025-26 season. They and Cerrato advanced to the next level of their career with the AHL. Aside from forwards, Penn State also lost goaltender Kevin Reidler due to signing. Schoen, defensemen Jarod Crespo and Carter Schade, and goaltender Chris McFayden will not return due to eligibility.