Overview

• McKenna’s first college games at No. 14 Arizona State are set for Oct. 3 at 10 p.m. ET and Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. ET on NHL Network, with free global streaming on the NHL’s YouTube channel.
• The 17-year-old winger, widely projected as the top pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, arrives from the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers and says he is “itching” to play.
• An NCAA vote last November opened Division I eligibility to CHL players, enabling McKenna’s move and accelerating a broader shift in talent toward college hockey.
• Penn State enters 2025–26 at No. 5 in the USCHO preseason poll and second in the Big Ten voting, with players and coaches acknowledging a target on their backs after a Frozen Four run.
• Head coach Guy Gadowsky lauded McKenna’s speed and hockey sense, as the program also eyes a Jan. 31 outdoor showcase at Beaver Stadium against Michigan State.