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Projected top NHL Draft pick Gavin McKenna explains why he chose Penn State: ‘Gut feeling’

Projected top NHL Draft pick Gavin McKenna explains why he chose Penn State: ‘Gut feeling’

Penn State’s miraculous run to the program’s first-ever Frozen Four last season wasn’t enough for Guy Gadowsky and the athletic department, apparently.
The staff went out and reeled in perhaps the most sought-after NCAA hockey recruit in the sport’s history in former Western Hockey League superstar Gavin McKenna, who is widely projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NHL Draft.
A change in NCAA rules this year allowed Penn State to court McKenna and other top Canadian talent. That’s why the Nittany Lions also went after and acquired other top talents like the program’s first-ever first-round draft pick, Jackson Smith.
Behind McKenna and Smith, and a returning core of key returners from last year’s run, Penn State sits among the nation’s favorites to win a national title.
And still, McKenna will get most of the attention. He’s that good.
The owner of 41 goals and 88 assists for the Medicine Hat Tigers last year, McKenna spoke to the media in State College for the first time since his summer commitment and explained the decision.
“I didn’t know if I was gonna go to college for a long time, but in January, I thought if I was ever gonna go to a college, it would be Penn State,” he said at Pegula Ice Arena on Monday. “I don’t know why, but I had that gut feeling. And obviously, as soon as I saw this place, I kind of knew I was coming.”
The 17-year-old said he’d never seen a U.S. university before and quickly found Penn State’s campus and hockey facilities hard to say no to. The reigning Canadian Hockey League Player of the Year also explained that he got dinner with some of his now-teammates and knew he’d fit in with the Nittany Lions’ culture.
“Seeing what these guys did last year, making it to the Frozen Four, I think that was obviously a big influence on me,” McKenna added. Penn State started winless in nine games in the Big Ten before an incredible second-half turnaround. “I wanted to come to a winning team, and I thought this was the spot.”
It’s been an adjustment so far for McKenna to move into Happy Valley, as it represents his first time away from his family or a billet family in the WHL.
That hasn’t had any impact on his first impression, though, as coach Guy Gadowsky raved about his prized freshman. He also said McKenna has been a seamless fit for the locker room, where ping pong and darts are serious competitions that keep things light away from the ice.
Gadowsky — at the top of the leaderboard — has beaten McKenna in both their table tennis matches thus far. But forward’s willingness to dive into the tradition has been an example of him being a “really chill, easy hang.”
“He’s very respectful. He’s got a great manner. He’s very polite,” Gadowsky said. “He’s really easy to hang out with.”
On the ice, his talents have shown through. He thinks about the game differently, Gadowsky said, and pairs it with great skating and conditioning. McKenna said he takes pride in his ability to manipulate the pace of the puck offensively.
“You can see that when there are drills that are game-specific and have a lot of traffic, he just somehow uses time and space in a very, very unique, make-it-so-easy way,” Gadowsky said. “So that’s been fun to watch.”
McKenna felt going from 68 games in the WHL to less than 40 in the NCAA would be a big change, because he “itches” to play games. Gadowsky said there might be an adjustment because of the older and bigger competition McKenna will face in the NCAA. On the same wavelength, McKenna said adding weight was a primary reason he came to college.
Penn State’s season kicks off Friday at Arizona State, and it’s easily the most highly anticipated campaign in the program’s short history. McKenna is prepared for the hype, and he’s looking forward to playing in unique environments across college hockey — including a home game in Beaver Stadium.
“There’s a lot of pressure, but I think over the years, I’ve kind of learned to deal with it,” McKenna said. “Especially with our team this year, there’s a lot of hype, and with that comes a lot of pressure. I’ve been on teams where there’s a lot of hype around us, and we’ve been able to pull through. I think the big thing is just not getting complacent. With the group we’ve got, it’s very competitive in practices and everything, so I can’t see complacency coming into our locker room.”