Gavin McKenna of Penn State University in the Big Ten will file a draft diary for NHL.com this season leading up to the 2026 NHL Draft. The 17-year-old freshman left wing (5-foot-11, 170 pounds), who was born in Whitehorse, Yukon, received an A rating on NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary players to watch list in October. He is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. The fourth youngest player in men’s college hockey, McKenna has six points (one goal, five assists) and 22 shots on goal in six games. He was second in the Western Hockey League last season with 129 points (41 goals, 88 assists) in 56 games with Medicine Hat and was named player of the year in the WHL and the Canadian Hockey League.
Hello hockey fans.
I’m looking forward to filing a monthly diary for NHL.com this season during my first season at Penn State.
I was born in a very supportive home in Whitehorse. My dad, Willy, would build us a hockey rink in the backyard each winter, and I also had a little hockey room in our house downstairs. It was a very hockey-filled household. My dad was always pushing me, trying to get me to get hours on the outdoor rink and I was always playing hockey with my little sister downstairs. It was a fun household to be in.
Outside of hockey, I like going home to Whitehorse when I can. I don’t get to go up there much recently, but when I’m there, I like to dirt-bike and get out on the land, go fishing and things like that. I used to be a big hunter but I’m not home for hunting season anymore. I golf with my buddies … I just enjoy being a kid.
Now at Penn State when I’m away from the rink, I just like hanging out with the guys. In the Western Hockey League the houses are spread out across the city, but here everyone lives so close, so whenever I get a chance I want to be with the guys and hang out with them. Whether it’s at the rink, in the dorms or the hockey house, we have a lot of fun. We have a really tight group of guys so just spending time with them, whether it’s making steaks for dinner or whatever, it’s a lot of fun.
My favorite school subject right now is “Recreation, Park and Tourism Management.” I like it because it’s been introducing me to real-world things. I’ve made a resume, a business card, an email signature, which are valuable things to just have in your life. You never know when you’ll need that stuff.
I’m asked a lot why I made the decision to take the college route at Penn State. I think first of all, I wanted to go to college to push myself and prepare myself for the NHL, hopefully in the coming year. I think playing against older, stronger guys will help me with that. I think Penn State, seeing what they did last year to go to the Frozen Four, I wanted to come to a winning program, and I thought this was the spot to be. When I toured the campus and saw the facilities and all the resources they have, it was pretty hard to say no.
