{"id":117002,"date":"2025-07-09T00:52:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T00:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/117002\/"},"modified":"2025-07-09T00:52:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T00:52:11","slug":"gavin-mckenna-the-projected-first-2026-nhl-draft-pick-officially-commits-to-penn-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/117002\/","title":{"rendered":"Gavin McKenna, the projected first 2026 NHL Draft pick, officially commits to Penn State"},"content":{"rendered":"

Penn State hockey has officially landed the hockey world\u2019s most coveted available player for the 2025-2026 season. Star forward, the projected next No. 1 NHL Draft pick, and Canadian Hockey League player of the year Gavin McKenna officially committed to the Nittany Lions on Tuesday. He announced his decision on <\/a>ESPN during a live episode of \u2018SportsCenter.\u2019 <\/p>\n

McKenna played last season for Medicine Hat of the WHL, which is one of three elite junior leagues run by the CHL. McKenna, who was also named the WHL\u2019s most valuable player, tallied 129 points (41 goals and 88 assists) over 56 regular-season games. He led his team to a title and had a 54-game point streak between the regular season and postseason, which is the CHL\u2019s longest since 2000.<\/p>\n

Rumors and reports began to circulate following the conclusion of the CHL season<\/a>, suggesting that Guy Gadowsky\u2019s program was competing with Michigan State<\/a>, among others, for McKenna. Then, weeks went by without a decision. But that all changed on Monday, when \u00a0Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects first reported,\u00a0citing sources<\/a>, McKenna\u2019s plan. He made it official a day later. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt means a lot,\u201d McKenna told the NHL\u2019s official website when asked about winning the David Branch Award. \u201cI think going into the year that was my goal. It\u2019s pretty special to win that now. I know my family will be proud. And, so will my teammates. I couldn\u2019t have done it without those guys.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think you win an award like this without teammates and guys around you. You need them. Hockey\u2019s not a one-man sport. You need every single guy and those guys all helped me, pushing me every single day in practice and helping me out in the games. Lot of credit to those guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKenna is a huge get for Penn State<\/p>\n

He will immediately be considered one of college hockey\u2019s best players before he even takes his first skate around Pegula Ice Arena as a Nittany Lion. That\u2019s one of the reasons why the Lions opened as favorites to win the 2025-2026 NCAA Championship at DraftKings Monday night. In its recent mock draft, The Athletic raved about McKenna when putting him as the No. 1 overall pick<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cMcKenna was one of the very best players in the CHL this season,\u201d Corey Pronmen writes. \u201cHe\u2019s an electric forward with truly elite skill and offensive sense. He\u2019s one of the most creative and skilled players I\u2019ve seen in recent years. That McKenna is also a high-end skater who can make his difficult plays at quick tempos gives a lot of confidence about how his game could fare in the NHL. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf teams were going to pick him apart, it would be that he\u2019s an average-sized winger who doesn\u2019t have a super high motor, but his talent and scoring are so good that it\u2019s nitpicking. I wouldn\u2019t call him a Macklin Celebrini\/Connor Bedard level prospect, but he\u2019s not far off.\u201d<\/p>\n