At his Wednesday press conference, Penn State hockey HC Guy Gadowsky confirmed what was expected: Gavin McKenna will play the weekend at Michigan.
Also expected was that Gadowsky would not comment further on McKenna’s on-going legal situation stemming from an alleged incident that occurred the night of Jan. 31.
McKenna was arraigned last week following the alleged altercation, which took place outside Doggie’s Pub.
Per police, McKenna is accused of punching another male twice in the face during the confrontation, resulting in multiple jaw fractures that later required corrective surgery.
He was charged on four counts by the State College Police Department, with the felony assault charge for aggravated assault having been dropped.
According to a report of events reviewed by this outlet, Penn State’s team gathered in a private room at Doggies Pub following Saturday’s game. During the gathering, an individual who was not affiliated with the team allegedly verbally harassed a member of McKenna’s family, which escalated into a physical altercation. No further details regarding the incident have been released publicly, and authorities have not provided additional context beyond what is outlined in court records. The matter remains under review as the case proceeds through the legal process.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Any immediate concerns about McKenna’s availability appeared to ease when the Whitehorse, Yukon native practiced with his teammates at Pegula Ice Arena, a positive sign as the Nittany Lions prepare for a series with significant conference and NCAA tournament seeding implications.
McKenna, the projected No. 1 pick in June’s NHL Draft, has been hitting his stride, scoring 14 points in the last eight games since returning from Word Juniors.
In McKenna’s most recent game, he scored a goal and posted two assists against Michigan State Jan. 31 in Beaver Stadium.
Gadowsky commented on his star player afterward.
“There’s so much that very justifiably is recognized and written about his talent, and it should be, because it’s incredible,” he said. “However, the more I get to be around Gav, like the thing that I and the thing that I love the most is he is so for this team and so for this, I can tell you he loves being on Penn State’s campus. He loves to be a part of this, and he wants very badly to be a part of it and you see him, you talk about him coming up in big moments, and yes he does, but I just love the things that he… he does everything that the team wants, and that the coaches want to be an example for team play. He really does. He’s a big moment player. He’s an incredible talent, but I tell you what, his desire to help the team is I think what I love most about him.”
