PUBLICATION
Sam Walker
February 7, 2026Â Â (1:39 PM)
Photo credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Gavin McKenna sees the felony assault charge withdrawn, Penn State hockey exhales, and the story still feels heavy.
The case is not over. McKenna still faces a misdemeanor simple assault count plus summary offenses tied to harassment and disorderly conduct.
The alleged incident traces back to Saturday, January 31, outside Doggie’s Pub in downtown State College.
Police allege he punched another man twice, with jaw fractures that required surgery.
The key detail is what prosecutors say they saw on video. The felony standard was not met after reviewing surveillance, including the context that McKenna tried to avoid the confrontation.
McKenna is 18 and 2026 NHL Draft eligible, so every headline hits louder than it should. Teams hate uncertainty, even when the rink results are real.
On the ice, he has driven Penn State’s attack with 11-21-32 in 24 games. That is top-six production and then some.
The timing makes it messier. The night started after the outdoor game at Beaver Stadium, a 5-4 overtime loss to Michigan State.
Gavin McKenna puts Penn State Nittany Lions under a microscope
If you’re a Penn State fan, it’s relief mixed with a stomach drop, because you know this won’t stop being a thing tomorrow.
Now the coaching staff has a choice that is more human than tactical. Keep him in a prime role, or dial minutes back to protect the room.
Either way, the locker room will hear it. The student section will feel it, too, even if nobody says it out loud.
The next checkpoint is the preliminary hearing on March 11 in Bellefonte. That date matters more than any practice-line combo.
From here, the hockey side is about focus and structure. The legal side is about what survives once the felony is off the table.
McKenna can still play, but the noise is real. And for a teenager with a bright NHL runway, that is its own kind of pressure.
Previously on Chicago Hockey Insider
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Gavin McKenna gets felony charge pulled, but Penn State heat stays
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