College funds from Pegula aided the rise of Penn State's promising ice hockey player, McKenna
Penn State's men's hockey program is making waves in the NCAA with the signing of Gavin McKenna, the most prized prospect in NCAA history and likely the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. This groundbreaking move comes as the NCAA's Division I Council has lifted its ban on junior hockey players, opening a recruiting pipeline for top players from the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).
McKenna, who spent three seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League, part of the wider CHL, notched an impressive 129 points (44 goals, 85 assists) and was awarded CHL Player of the Year. At just 17 years old, he became the third-youngest player to take home the award after Sidney Crosby and John Tavares.
The University of Connecticut (UConn) initially secured the funding to sign McKenna, but he chose Penn State over a century-old program with three NCAA titles, Michigan State. The Pegulas, Terry and Kim, who seeded Penn State's men's hockey program with a $88 million donation in 2010, the largest private gift in school history, also contributed an additional $14 million to Penn State hockey efforts in 2012.
Penn State's men's hockey team has come a long way since playing at the club level just over a decade ago. In the 2013-14 season, the team reported spending $3.37 million on men's hockey, ranking eighth in the country. In the recent years, the team's expenditures have been more moderate, with $3.8 million in 2016-17 and $3.16 million in 2020-2021. However, in the 2023-24, the most recent year of available reporting, Penn State ranked 14th in spending at $4.17 million.
This past season, Penn State's men's hockey team made its first Frozen Four appearance in program history, losing to Boston University in the semifinals. With the addition of McKenna, expectations are high for the upcoming season.
It's worth noting that the eligibility bylaw regarding pre-enrollment activities has been tweaked, allowing players like McKenna to participate in NCAA sports before their high school graduation. This change, which will be official on Aug. 1, has the potential to attract more top talent to the NCAA from the CHL, which is considered superior to the United States Hockey League (USHL) in terms of developing young talent.
The CHL teams pay players a stipend, which previously made them ineligible for the NCAA. However, with the advent of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals, McKenna received the biggest NIL offer in college hockey history, an "extremely generous six-figure" deal to attend Penn State.
As Penn State continues to invest in its men's hockey program and attract top talent, fans are eager to see what the future holds for the team. With McKenna's addition, the team is poised to make a strong run in the upcoming seasons.
