Penn State Named Leader to Land Top NHL Prospect

The NHL's top prospect in next year's draft might be heading in a different direction for the 2025-26 season.

Apr 10, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, UNITED STATES; Penn State Nittany Lions forward Nicholas DeGraves (17) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Boston University Terriers during the third period of the Frozen Four college ice hockey national semifinals at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Connor Hamilton-Imagn Images / Connor Hamilton-Imagn Images

17-year-old Gavin McKenna is already expected to be the No. 1 pick at the 2026 NHL Draft, with an entire 2025-26 season still to be played. While everyone patiently waits for McKenna’s arrival to the NHL, there has been some rumors regarding where he will play during the 2025-26 season.

Currently a member of the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers, McKenna may be taking his talents to the NCAA. According to Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts Podcast, McKenna is set to make a few visits with teams to consider his options, and Penn State is emerging as a front-runner.

With rumors swirling about where Gavin McKenna will play hockey next year, @FriedgeHNIC said many are pointing to Penn State 🦁

“I asked a bunch of people around, and said, ‘If you had to pick where he’s going to play next year’ most of them picked Penn State.” (via 32 Thoughts) pic.twitter.com/ZxeUXfVFDz

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 8, 2025

“I was asking a few people around hockey what they thought,” Friedman said. “Informal straw pool, I would say Penn State. That’s who they think the favorite is.”

Friedman went on to say it is too soon to say McKenna is committing to the Nittany Lions, but there seems to be a majority rule that Penn State leads the sweepstakes.

“I was told it would be premature to make any enormous proclamation,” Friedman said. “But I asked a bunch of people around and said, ‘if you had to pick where he’s going to play next year,’ most of them picked Penn State.”

Penn State has been growing its hockey program since making the move to NCAA Division I in 2012 and made its first Frozen Four appearance this past season.

Nashville Predators top prospect Aiden Fink spent the last two seasons with the Nittany Lions and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award this past season.

Penn State isn’t going to slow down its recruitment efforts with McKenna likely at the top of its list. During the 2024-25 season in Medicine Hat, McKenna scored 41 goals and 88 assists for 129 points in just 56 games played. He added another 38 points (9G-29A) in 16 postseason games.

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