Penn State Hockey: A Father-Son Reunion for the Nittany Lions Next Season

Mac Gadowsky, a Hobey Baker Award finalist and son of Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky, will play for the Nittany Lions next season.

The Penn State Nittany Lions celebrate their win over the Michigan Wolverines in the Big Ten Hockey Tournament. | Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images

After perhaps the most rewarding season of his coaching career, Penn State's Guy Gadowsky received even more good news. His son Mac Gadowsky, a first-team All-American at Army West Point, will transfer to Penn State next season to play for the Nittany Lions.

Mac Gadowsky played the past two two years at Army West Point and has two seasons of eligibility remaining. Penn State hockey's official X account announced the news.

The B1G Mac

He’s coming home 🏠

1st Team All-American ✅
Hobey Top-10 Finalist ✅

🔜 Penn State Nittany Lion 🦁 #WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/llf6laPaKy

— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) April 16, 2025

Mac Gadowsky had a phenomenal second season for Army West Point, where he led the nation in points (42) and goals (16) for a defenseman. Gadowsky was a first-team East ACHA All-American and was selected among the 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award as the nation's top college hockey player. He was Army West Point's first Hobey Baker Award finalist.

According to Army West Point, Gadowsky was the only player in the country to record 40+ goals and 40+ blocked shots. He was named the Atlantic Hockey America defenseman of the year after recording a plus-16 rating in conference games. Further, Gadowsky committed just three penalties in 38 games to win the AHA Individual Sportsmanship Award.

Gadowsky played two seasons at Army West Point, making the AHA rookie team in 2023-24 and leading the conference's first-year players with 23 points. Gadowsky also led Army with 19 assists as a freshman.

Gadowsky was born in Fairbanks, Alaska, where his father once coached the University of Alaska-Fairbanks hockey team. Gadowsky played two seasons in the North American Hockey League playing for the Springfield Jr. Blues and Fairbanks Ice Dogs.

In joining Penn State, Gadowsky will play for a program coming off its best finish in history. The Nittany Lions reached their first Frozen Four and closed the season ranked fifth in the two major college hockey polls. Guy Gadowsky guided Penn State to a 22-14-4 season and was named as a finalist for the Spencer Penrose as the Division I college hockey coach of the year.

"I honestly can't help but feel so grateful and positive about this year and this team because, I've said it before, but we were left for dead not long ago," Gadowsky said at the Frozen Four. "And for these guys to come back and play in St. Louis is remarkable and better than that is how they did it. They are such great representatives to our university, which is really important at Penn State. And I learned a lesson from them this year.

"I mean, the way that they stuck together and stayed positive in the hardest times when it would have been easy not to is just really, really impressive. They're really good men, and I'm really proud to be a part of this group."