{"id":447135,"date":"2026-02-05T14:45:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T14:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/447135\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T14:45:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T14:45:11","slug":"police-release-statement-on-gavin-mckenna-charges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/447135\/","title":{"rendered":"Police release statement on Gavin McKenna charges"},"content":{"rendered":"

The news broke on Wednesday that Penn State hockey player and potential number one pick in the upcoming NHL Draft, Gavin McKenna, had been arrested<\/a>. He was charged with felony assault after an incident in a bar on Saturday night. Local police released a statement about the Gavin McKenna arrest, as reported by<\/a> NHL insider Frank Seravalli.<\/p>\n

Statement from State College (Pa.) police on charges filed against Gavin McKenna.<\/p>\n

Reports: Criminal complaint indicates the incident was caught on street cameras with McKenna allegedly punching the victim twice in the face after an \u201cexchange of words.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/1bc9fyHynl<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) February 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe charges are the result of an altercation which occurred in the 100 block of South Pugh Street, in the Borough of State College on January 31, 2026, at approximately 8:45 p.m,\u201d the statement reads. \u201cIt is alleged that McKenna struck a 21-year-old male in the face during the altercation resulting in facial injuries requiring corrective surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n

A hearing in this case is scheduled for February 11. Penn State does not have a game before then, so McKenna’s eligibility for their next matchup with Michigan on February 13 is up in the air.<\/p>\n

Mike McMahon of College Hockey Insider reported how the<\/a> McKenna assault charges came to be. \u201cPenn State’s team gathered postgame Saturday at Doggies Pub in a private room. An individual unrelated to the team was verbally harassing a member of McKenna’s family, and there was a physical altercation.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKenna and the Penn State hockey team lost to Michigan State 5-4 in overtime on Saturday afternoon. The game was played outdoors in front of a full Beaver Stadium. The Spartans are the number two team in the country and the Nittany Lions could not pull off the upset despite a solid McKenna performance. While the legal issues are at the top of mind, they need McKenna for the series against the No. 1 Wolverines.<\/p>\n

McKenna has been slipping in some NHL Draft mocks, with Sweden’s Ivar Stenberg moving into some top spots. ClutchPoints Tristin McKinstry, however, still has McKenna at number one.<\/a> Will he remain in the top spot after this situation?<\/p>\n