Penn State men's hockey finished the 2025-26 season on a first round loss in the NCAA Hockey Tournament to Minnesota-Duluth. The Nittany Lions couldn't overcome a 2-1 deficit late in the third period, despite having an extra skater out there in the offensive zone, and an empty-netter from the Bulldogs sealed the blue and white's season away.
Gavin McKenna teases no return to Penn State for second NCAA season
Minnesota-Duluth was an evenly matched opponent for Penn State, one of the only ones of the first round in general. The Nittany Lions struggled with consistency and togetherness during the second half of the season, meaning they entered the national tournament without much momentum. While they put together a decent 60 minutes, the Bulldogs had the gas turned on just a bit higher for the whole game and that was ultimately the difference maker.
So, what's next for Penn State?
Penn State hockey’s season is over. They fall to UMD in the first round of the tourney.
— Jaret Gold (@JaretGold) March 28, 2026
Despite the additions last offseason, the team did not achieve any of its tangible goals:
-Less wins than last season
-No conference title
-No tournament wins
An interesting offseason ahead
Head coach Guy Gadowsky has the right players and does well in recruiting young talent from the Canadian Hockey League. Gadowsky's job is secure regardless of the first round exit in the tournament. He's not on the hot seat and he shouldn't be either.
A big reason why the Nittany Lions fell short in 2025-26 was due to injuries. Forward Charlie Cerrato, an expected star for the blue and white, had an undisclosed injury for part of the regular season. He missed nearly the entire second half and came back just in time for the postseason.
As Cerrato prepared his return, another Penn Stater went down. Captain and forward Dane Dowiak sustained an upper body injury in the middle of February, one that was season-ending.
If both of those players were healthy throughout the season, it's possible that the Nittany Lions would've been more team-oriented heading into playoffs. Once the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Hockey Tournament rolled around, it felt like forward Gavin McKenna was Penn State's saving grace. If he didn't get rolling, the Nittany Lions looked flat.
That brings up Gadowsky's next concern. Getting his team back and healthy is one thing, but getting his star player back is another.
McKenna might be off to the NHL. That's not saying that the others on the roster can't do well without him, but a generational talent isn't easy to come by.
There are positives and negatives to this. Expectations with McKenna, especially in year two, will be massive. Making the tournament is the bare minimum, even more so than it was in 2025-26. Paired with the rest of the talent on the team, though, that shouldn't be a tall order. Without McKenna, that's still an achievable goal.
So either way, though it would be extremely beneficial for Penn State if McKenna returns, Gadowsky needs depth. Injuries aren't always controllable, but he can't have a repeat of 2025-26. He needs a roster built out that doesn't fall back on the shoulders of an underclassman, one that can rally up regular season wins and tournament wins together.