Gavin McKenna's Penn State commitment is seismic move for NCAA hockey, player development

From a Penn State perspective, it comes on the heels of the programs first ever Frozen Four appearance and makes the team an early season favorite to win it all this season. 

But even more than simply being a win for Penn State, it's also a huge win for college hockey.

In years past, a prospect like McKenna would have likely played in the Canadian major junior leagues (the CHL) before being drafted by an NHL team. That was due not only to the quality of play in the CHL, but also NCAA rules that made players who played previously in Canada ineligible for college hockey. 

In other words, you had to pick one path or the other: the NCAA or the CHL.

The best prospects typically chose the CHL. 

But the NCAA recently changed its eligibility rules to allow players who had previously played in the Canadian junior programs to now play in college hockey — as long as they have not yet signed a pro contract. 

That rule change, combined with the NIL rules, are going to open the door for more top prospects like McKenna to take their talents to the college game.

According to Mike McMahon of CollegeHockeyInsider.com (h/t Sporting News), Penn State offered McKenna about $700,000 to play in Happy Valley this season. 

That alone for significant earning power is going to be a game-changer for top prospects and where they choose to play before being drafted into the NHL. 

McKenna's decision changed the short-term outlook for Penn State.

But the entire saga may have changed the long-term outlook for both the CHL and the NCAA. 

McKenna made his debut in the CHL's Western Hockey League at the age of 14 and was quickly dominating against players 17, 18 and 19 years old. This past season, which saw him open the season as a 16-year-old, he recorded 129 total points (41 goals and 88 assists) in only 56 games. 

The 2026 NHL Draft is supposed to be extremely top-heavy with potential franchise players, but none of them are going into the season with higher expectations than McKenna. The top pick in the NHL Draft is chosen through a lottery with the worst team in the league having an 18% chance of winning the sweepstakes.