Editor's Note: This is another installment about Gavin McKenna's draft status heading into the 2026 NHL draft. He was the No. 1 ranked player at the start of the NHL season.
Gavin McKenna's No. 10-ranked Penn State team lost 5-2 to No. 2-ranked Michigan in the semifinals of the Big Ten playoffs Saturday. McKenna scored his 15th goal of the season for the Nittany Lions' goals but was minus-3 in the contest.
The Penn State downfall can be traced to a 0-for-6 effort on the power play.
What's Next for Penn State: McKenna and his Nittany Lions teammates await an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament. The tournament field will be announced Sunday.
The ranking: Elite Prospects Consolidated 100 has McKenna ranked No. 2 behind Swedish Hockey League winger Ivar Stenberg of the Frolunda Hockey Club. Craig Button's TSN ranking has McKenna at No. 1, and Stenberg No. 2. Dobber Prospects also has McKenna No. 1.
McKenna Numbers: The Whitehorse, Yukon Territories left wing has 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points in 34 games. That places him second in the nation among college scorers. He is seven points behind Ethan Wyttenbach of Quinnipiac (24 goals, 34 assists).
Just the Facts: McKenna's goal against Michigan extended his career-long, point-streak to nine games, two shy of Evan Barrett’s program record of 11 games in 2018-19. His 51 points snaps a tie with Alex Limoges for the second-most points in a single-season. He is only two short of Aiden Fink’s school record set last season. McKenna’s 15 goals on the season also tie him with Fink and Charlie Cerrato for the fifth-most in a single-season by a Penn State freshman.
Season Highlight: McKenna's one goal and seven assists in an 11-4 win Feb. 20 against Ohio State allowed him to set a new Penn State record for points and a Big Ten mark for assists.
Summary: Over the holidays and into January, NHL scuttlebutt had McKenna perhaps dropping to No. 2 on many teams' draft boards. But with his strong play down the stretch, we no longer hear those rumblings. Since Jan. 16, McKenna shows 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points in 13 games. He has been prolific with his shots on goal this season. He has produced seven or more in a game five times. Even after he was charged with simple assault after a post-game confrontation with another man at a parking structure near a bar, his elite production continued. The New York Times recently published an article about McKenna with a headline reading: "NHL scouts are not concerned about off-ice issues." It's impossible to know for sure, but we believe most teams do have McKenna ranked No. 1. But not all of them, meaning Stenberg could go first if the right team wins the lottery.
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