Arizona State Opens Season Against Junior Hockey Phenom

McKenna was deciding between Penn State and Michigan State but ultimately chose Happy Valley to be the face of their program.

This decision is huge not just for Penn State, but for Arizona State as well. It brings in hockey fans who may not typically follow the college game and puts a national spotlight on ASU’s program.

For a team that’s consistently trying to build itself, having the nation’s top prospect begin his career on your home ice is a major step forward.

But hosting McKenna is only the first step in growing. The Sun Devils will have to show up and show out, which shouldn’t be hard. They’re loaded with talent and are fresh off having the program’s first-ever first-round draft pick in Cullen Potter.

Potter may not possess McKenna’s elite-level ceiling, but he can certainly match the excitement. He has blazing speed, was voted the fastest skater in the NHL Draft by his peers, and plays a two-way game that continues to evolve.

However, here’s the challenge: Most young superstars get by with one elite trait, but McKenna can hurt you in multiple ways.

He has a short frame and doesn’t carry much weight, but all he needs is a split second to let his shot go, and it might be too late for Samuel Urban, ASU’s projected starting goaltender.

While veterans like Morgan Brady, Kyle Smolen, Sam Alfano, and Logan Morrell can try to slow him down with physical play, McKenna only needs to stand in the “Ovechkin spot” and rip a one-timer.

The Sun Devils have their work cut out for them, and it’ll be good to get the brutes out of the way early.

There’s a lot of hope around Tempe that this will be the year they finally make noise in the NCAA Tournament. They made it once in 2018–19 and were ousted by Quinnipiac in the first round.

Can they make it for the second time in program history? Or will McKenna and the Nittany Lions send a cold spell toward the desert?

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