A surprising season that led Penn State men's hockey to its first Frozen Four appearance in program history and a very aggressive offseason approach in recruiting put Hockey Valley on the map in more ways than one. In particular, the Nittany Lions are trending very well with Canadian Hockey League players now that they're eligible to play in the NCAA.
Elite talent comes from the CHL, more so than the United States Hockey League. Though both are considered junior league hockey, the CHL eliminated the NCAA middle step to get to the pros. It's focus is player development so that players have a straight shot to the NHL.
The USHL doesn't operate like that. Jumping from the USHL to college hockey is much more difficult than going from the NCAA to the pros, unless they're an extremely gifted player. It's typical for USHL players to have their breakout seasons as sophomores in college as that first year is about adjusting to the difficulty, speed, and skill in the NCAA.
That's not to say talent doesn't come from junior league hockey in the United States. Player development is just more of a drawn out process that basically requires an NCAA stint. Sixteen first round picks of the 2025 NHL Draft are from the CHL meanwhile only two came from the USHL.
Now with CHL skaters entering the college landscape, their impact will surpass that of USHL players headed to the NCAA. The average CHL player will adjust to the NCAA and produce results a lot quicker than an average USHL player. Schools that can get their hands on elite CHL talent or a few average CHL players put themselves in a good spot to have a successful season (or few).
Penn State happens to be a very appealing program for the skaters looking to benefit from this eligibilty rule change.
The No. 14 overall selection of the 2025 NHL Draft Jackson Smith will start at Penn State for the 2025-26 season alongside the future No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 NHL Draft Gavin McKenna. Smith played for the Tri-City Americans of the CHL's Western Hockey League and McKenna finished his season with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL.
Including Smith and McKenna, the Nittany Lions have seven commitments from CHL players. Forward Lev Katzin was initially in the USHL, but signed an agreement with the CHL's Ontario Hockey League soon after. Defenseman Nolan Collins was a sixth-rounder in the 2022 NHL Draft. Penn State also has commitments from goaltender Josh Fleming, forward Shea Van Olm, and forward Luke Misa. On top of the already-committed players, the Nittany Lions are trending well with No. 2 overall selection of the 2025 NHL Draft Michael Misa and Porter Martone.
Head coach Guy Gadowsky is plowing through the CHL in recruitment with the hopes of getting Penn State back to the Frozen Four and taking home the title one year after a historical season. If Gadowsky continues to pull in CHL players each offseason, which is expected given his current traction in the league, the Nittany Lions will be a familiar face in heated recruitment battles. He doesn't need to bring in seven CHL players every season from here on out. Retaining players who aren't headed to the NHL and producing results in postseason play will keep CHL skaters, no matter how many per offseason, coming through Hockey Valley.