It would be hard to blame anyone associated with the Penn State men’s ice hockey program who was on the historic run to the Frozen Four last season for being satisfied.
If you were to approach returning forwards Aiden Fink and Dane Dowiak, the finish was great but they wanted more.
Last season’s individual accolades for Fink where he set program records for single season scoring, mean little compared to the team reaching the Frozen Four for the first time in program history.
Despite being a Hobey Baker Top 10 finalist and leading the Big Ten in points, Fink said he ended the year feeling “hungry and a little grouchy” after scoring just once in three tournament games.
That hunger fueled his offseason, where he added strength and refined his shot.
Now he’s embracing a game-by-game mentality while welcoming the offensive firepower of Penn State’s newcomers.
“These guys are super skilled,” Fink said of McKenna, Smith, and Van Holm. “We’re going to be three or four lines deep.”
Fink has already built strong chemistry with McKenna, often exchanging ideas about power-play strategy.
As the door opened for top CHL talent to have access to participate in the NHL, it opened the door for Fink to play again with his childhood friend forward Shea Van Olm.
Fink vouched for Van Holm to head coach Guy Gadowsky during recruiting, telling the staff that the WHL’s leading goal scorer was both a great player and a great teammate.
For McKenna, Fink’s influence is invaluable.
He calls Fink a “very smart hockey player” whose competitiveness “sets the tone” for the entire team.
With talent like Fink, McKenna, Van Olm, and defenseman Jackson Smith the team recognized they wanted a spiritual leader who isn’t afraid to get dirty in the corner and block some shots.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Forward Dane Dowiak embodies the gritty identity that personifies Penn State’s blue collar approach to the ice.
That personification was recognized by Dowiak’s teammates as he was named captain by a unanimous vote.
Gadowsky praised the selection.
“This is one where certainly the coaches agreed with it, but the players spoke pretty loudly, and I think it’s because he’s just a team guy through and through. He’s very accountable to himself. like he talks a very good team game, but he backs it up,” Gadowsky said.
“He’s extremely strong, gritty guy. He loves Penn State and embodies it, but I think he really has an ability to do everything he does to play for the team. I think that’s really the biggest key. So he does a lot of the things getting pucks out, winning faceoffs, going to the net, getting, you know, getting cross-checked. He does a lot of things that don’t show up in the box score, but that the guys recognize as being essential for us to have success.”
Dowiak said he was honored to wear the “C,” crediting past leaders for shaping his approach. His message to the team is to embrace expectations without losing sight of their values.
“We’re taking it day by day,” Dowiak said. “Yes, we have a target on our back, but we’re focused on our own standards.”
Dowiak also sees a strong cultural fit with the newcomers.
He praised McKenna’s humility, Van Holm’s toughness, and freshman Lev Katzen’s grit, dubbing Katzen “Mr. Penn State” for his pride in the program.
The captain’s ultimate goal is clear: “Getting a taste of winning was addictive. We want a national championship.”
Penn State’s men’s hockey faces off against Arizona State in Tempe, Arizona on Friday, the puck drops at 10 PM (Eastern) on NHL Network.
