NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Gavin McKenna lifts the Ed Chynoweth Cup after the Tigers beat the Spokane Chiefs 4-3 on May 16 to capture the franchise's sixth title.
Medicine Hat News
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Gavin McKenna will be playing NCAA hockey next season.
The consensus first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft announced Tuesday afternoon on ESPN’s Sportscenter that he will be leaving the Western Hockey League for the NCAA and Penn State University.
“It was a super tough decision, there’s a lot of great options out there, but I think me, my family and everyone that is part of my circle, we all decided the best spot for me next year will be Penn State University,” McKenna said on ESPN’s Sports Center on Tuesday.
“Penn State is a great spot for me, I got to get a taste of what it’s like there and got to bring along my dad and we both thought it was a great spot for me.”
His departure is the largest domino to fall following the change of the NCAA’s eligibility rules last November. The NCAA Div. I Council voted to lift the previous restriction that barred CHL players from playing college hockey due to its amateur status rules, and will allow those playing major junior hockey to make the switch to U.S. college hockey as of Aug. 1.
The 17-year-old Whitehorse, Yuk. product played three seasons in Medicine Hat, totalling 79 goals and 244 points in 133 games. He had another 12 goals and 45 points in 25 playoff games, with nine goals and 38 points coming this past postseason as the Tigers captured a sixth Ed Chynoweth Cup, beating the Spokane Chiefs in the WHL Championship series.
McKenna was named the WHL and CHL rookie of the year in 2024 and was crowned the player of the year in both the WHL and CHL in 2025. He is the third-youngest CHLer to be named player of the year, only Sidney Crosby and John Tavares were younger. He leaves the Tigers 29th all-time in points and 19th in points. He had a 54-game point streak last season, setting a new modern CHL record for points in consecutive games.
McKenna will join Tri-City Americans defenceman Jackson Smith who committed to Penn State on June 15. The Tigers have already lost forwards Cayden Lindstrom (Michigan State University) and Ryder Ritchie (Boston University) to the NCAA rule changes.
See Wednesday’s News for more on the story.
