Coming off a historic season, including its first-ever Frozen Four appearance, No. 5 Penn State recruited one of its best classes in program history.
Of the nine standout recruits joining Hockey Valley this fall, five will be working to fill in the Nittany Lions’ back end.
With the addition of these newcomers to an already solid group of returners, here’s a look at how Penn State’s defensive core is shaping up.
Defenders
First-round draft pick Jackson Smith and top-10 Hobey Baker finalist Mac Gadowsky are the two names headlining Hockey Valley’s blueliners this season.
Smith was selected 14th overall in this year’s NHL draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets, becoming Penn State’s first-ever first-round draft pick.
The 6-foot-4-inch freshman spent his last two seasons with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL, registering 11 goals and 43 assists in 68 games last year, and earning the team’s Defenseman of the Year honor.
Smith was also a part of the 2025 Canadian Team that won gold at the IIHF U18 World Championships, where he ended the tournament with five points and a plus-7 rating.
Gadowsky, son of Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky, entered the transfer portal this summer after having one of the best single seasons in Army’s history, and committed to his hometown team in April.
Gadowsky led all defensemen in the country last season in both points and goals, and earned First Team All-American honors, as well as being named the AHA Defensemen of the Year.
The Nittany Lions took a hit when it was announced that arguably their best returner in Cade Christenson, would not start the season due to injury, however, they could look to another newcomer in freshman Nolan Collins, who looks to be a viable option to slot into that big-bodied, physical defenseman role.
Filling out the depth pairings could realistically be any combination of the remaining returners.
With Carter Schade back from injury, Nick Fascia coming off of his best hockey down the stretch last year, and both Jarod Crespo and Casey Aman having the ability to slot in wherever needed, the Nittany Lions will have a battle on their hands for the remaining lineup spots.
Goaltenders
With less than a week to go until puck drop, the blue and white have yet to name a starting goaltender, however, both its offseason additions look to be strong contenders to compete for that title.
Hours after former star goaltender Arsenii Sergeev inked his contract with the Calgary Flames back in April, Penn State announced the addition of former Nebraska-Omaha goaltender Kevin Reidler via the transfer portal.
Reidler is a 2022 fifth-round NHL draft pick of the Ottawa Senators and boasts an impressive resume, headlined by a silver medal with Team Sweden at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championships.
The 6-foot-6-inch sophomore started five games for the Mavericks and appeared in eight, posting a 2.75 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.
The Nittany Lions are also bringing in freshman goaltender Josh Fleming, who committed back in January after the newly granted collegiate eligibility for CHL players.
Fleming has spent his last three seasons in the QMJHL for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, with his best season coming last year, after registering a .908 save percentage and a 29-20-3 record.
Although Reidler most likely holds the edge for the starting spot due to his prior collegiate experience, both netminders have the capabilities to win out the starting spot, and with returning senior John Seifarth likely third in line, Penn State has some strong depth in net this season.
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