Ahead of Penn State men’s hockey’s much-anticipated home opener on Thursday night, junior forward Aiden Fink and defenseman Mac Gadowsky were named as two of the first five members of the U.S. Collegiate Selects team, as announced on social media.

Fink, a Hobey Baker Award finalist in 2024-25, is coming off an exceptional season for the Nittany Lions, leading them in goals (23), assists (33), and total points (56). In the first two games of the current season, he has one goal and three assists in the series sweep on the road against then No. 15 Arizona State.

Gadowsky, also a Hobey Baker finalist last season with Army, transferred to Penn State after leading all NCAA defensemen in goals (16) and posting 42 total points. He recorded one assist in the team’s first two games of the season.

The U.S. Collegiate Select team will be comprised of some of the best American college hockey players and will compete, for the very first time, in the Spengler Cup.

The Spengler Cup, held annually in Switzerland during December, has been an annual event since 1923 and is the world’s oldest invitational hockey tournament. It is usually populated by Canadian and European teams, but a team of Americans will compete for the first time since a U.S. Selects team won the 1988 edition. This year’s edition will include teams from Czechia, Finland, Canada, and two from Switzerland, including the reigning champions HC Fribourg-Gottéron.

Penn State men’s hockey head coach Guy Gadowsky was already named as the team’s head coach back in August. Along with Fink and Gadowsky, three other collegiate stars were named to the initial roster: UConn’s Joey Muldowney, North Dakota’s Jake Livanavage, and Minnesota State’s Alex Tracy. More players will be revealed over the coming weeks, with several Nittany Lions in consideration.

The tournament is scheduled to begin on Friday, December 26, with the U.S. Collegiate Selects team facing off against Team Canada to begin group play. It will not threaten availability for the Penn State men’s hockey season.