Gavin McKenna’s rapid rise from Hockey Valley to the NHL is set to reach its next milestone Tuesday night.
The former Penn State star and No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft is set to make his NHL debut when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens at 7 p.m. at Scotiabank Arena.
McKenna will become the fifth former Nittany Lion to appear in an NHL game, joining Casey Bailey, Brett Murray, Brandon Biro and Arsenii Sergeev. Bailey also made his NHL debut with Toronto during the 2014-15 season.
McKenna signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs on July 3 and became the first Penn State player to make an NHL Opening Night roster.
His debut comes after a record-setting lone season in Hockey Valley.
McKenna was named Penn State’s Team MVP and Freshman of the Year after leading the Nittany Lions with 51 points on 15 goals and a program single-season record 36 assists. He became just the third player in program history to reach 50 points in a season, while his 51 points ranked second in Penn State history.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.McKenna finished third in the Big Ten and tied for fifth nationally in scoring. His 1.46 points per game established another Penn State record and led the Big Ten.
The freshman collected plenty of hardware along the way, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Second Team All-Big Ten and unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors. McKenna also became Penn State’s second Hobey Baker Award Top-10 finalist and fourth All-American.
His signature performance came against Ohio State in February, when McKenna erupted for program records of eight points and seven assists in an 11-4 victory.
Now, just months after completing one of the greatest individual seasons in Penn State hockey history, McKenna will take the ice on hockey’s biggest stage for the first time.
