Penn State hockey star Gavin McKenna, a freshman center and one of the top prospects for the upcoming NHL draft, has been charged with felony assault following an altercation at a bar on Saturday.
McKenna, 18, was also charged with simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct, according to court documents. He was awaiting a preliminary hearing as of Wednesday.
Details of the allegations were not available at the time of publication. Representatives for McKenna did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press.
The incident occurred in the hours after Penn State lost to No. 2 Michigan State in an outdoor game at Beaver Stadium, home of the Nittany Lions football team.
Gavin McKenna: What to Know
McKenna, from Yukon, Canada, has 32 points this season for the Nittany Lions and was considered a potential generational prospect before arriving at Penn State.
McKenna drew national attention over the summer when he left the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) after more than two seasons with Medicine Hat and enrolled at Penn State. His move came during the first offseason after the NCAA lifted its long-standing ban on CHL players competing at the college level, clearing the way for elite junior prospects to enter the NCAA ranks.
He ranks fourth on the Nittany Lions in scoring and seventh among NCAA freshmen with four goals and 15 assists for 19 points in 18 games. The transition to college hockey is often viewed as more demanding, as most NCAA players are 19 or older, compared with the CHL, where players range from 16 to 20.
Penn State’s hockey programs were launched in 2013 following a donation of more than $100 million from alumnus Terry Pegula, which funded the men’s and women’s teams and construction of Pegula Ice Arena. A name, image and likeness deal with the Nittany Lions helped sway McKenna to join the program.
McKenna also starred internationally, finishing second on Canada’s bronze medal-winning team at the recent world junior championships with 10 points—four goals and six assists—in seven games.
He thrived at Medicine Hat, compiling 91 goals and 198 assists for 289 points in 158 career games. Last season, McKenna failed to record a point in just four games and closed the year with a 45-game point streak, totaling 32 goals and 100 points during that stretch.
Updates: 2/4/26, 7:34 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.
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