Penn State men’s hockey forward Gavin McKenna has committed to play for Team Canada in the 2026 World Championships, according to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger.

McKenna was the first Nittany Lion to win the Big Ten scoring title with 38 points on 11 goals and 27 assists in 24 conference games. He was also named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, another first for Penn State. He set the Penn State single-game scoring record against Ohio State with eight points in one game.

The Whitehorse, Yukon, native had 51 points on the season and played in every game. He is projected to be the No. 1 draft pick in the upcoming NHL draft.

McKenna played in the World Junior Championships and won bronze for Team Canada. He had four goals and 14 assists in the tournament. He scored a hat-trick against Denmark in the preliminary round, getting named Player of the Game.

While the status of whether McKenna is returning to play for the Nittany Lions is unknown, he will reportedly be in Switzerland in May with NHL stars like Macklin Celebrini, Mat Barzal, and Morgan Rielly.

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Alex Smith

Alex is a fourth-year Print and Digital Journalism student from Sarasota, Florida. Alex is a huge Tampa Bay sports fan and even has a cat named Kucherov. You can contact her at [email protected].

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