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Gavin McKenna heard it from opposing fans at Mullet Arena during his first college hockey shift — and it never relented.
In October, Penn State traveled to Arizona State, a highly anticipated first game for the then-17-year-old. The response from Sun Devils fans was neither sporadic nor subtle.
“They gave it to me,” McKenna said. “Every time I touched the puck, I could hear boos and ‘overrated’ chants.”
McKenna’s parents and grandparents braved the crowd. His teammates and coaches were already discussing how to handle a season of weighted expectations.
None of that fazed McKenna, a 6-foot, 170-pound winger. “I usually have a good smile,” he said. “Of course sometimes it’s hard to deal with. But when I hear all these things, I’m quite motivated.”
Tied 2-2 with less than two minutes remaining, the Nittany Lions were on a power play. McKenna collected a cross-ice pass in the right faceoff circle and ripped a one-timer through traffic. The game winner was followed by a now iconic celebration. “I hit the ‘Forks Down’ cell,” McKenna said. “It was pretty funny.”
That sequence — the noise, the reaction — defined McKenna’s NHL draft year. It also shaped the opinions of teams competing for the top spot in the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, which will be decided tonight (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
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Gavin McKenna’s first goal was the game winner for Penn State
Gavin McKenna scores a game-winning field goal for Penn State and trolls Arizona State fans with “fork downs.”
By the time he arrived at Penn State, McKenna was already being compared to recent No. 1 picks such as Connor Bedard And McLean Celebrini. his The decision to come to Penn State Just raise the stakes.
“When you get a player like that, it’s like ‘sacred cow,'” Penn State coach Guy Gadowski said. “You don’t expect it to happen here — and then it does.”
In a NIL-driven landscape, McKenna was seen as promising One of the most notable in college hockey history — a move that brought attention not only to him, but to the program as well. Speculation is rife over his record-breaking NIL deal. No one would divulge the actual number, though $700,000 was the widely circulated number (whether accurate or not) amid derision from opponents.
“It wasn’t really in the culture of this program before that kind of blue-chip prospect,” teammate Matt DiMarsico said.
It has been subjected to unprecedented scrutiny.
“I can’t put into words the amount of stress that’s been on him this year,” said his mother, Crystal McKenna. “Social media is such a double-edged sword.”
For McKenna, the spotlight is something unnatural for a teenager still finding her way.
“I had to be perfect almost all the time,” he said.
The road to stardom Didn’t show anything. McKenna grew up in the town of Whitehorse in the Yukon, Canada’s far northwest region defined by dramatic wilderness.
“Quite remote,” he said. “Long summer days and long winter nights. Almost a hockey town though. Everywhere you look, there’s an outdoor rink. I’m so grateful to have grown up there.”
It is closed-knit also.
“Whitehorse is a small community where everybody knows everybody,” Crystal said. “Everyone is so helpful and really kind and very welcoming.”
McKenna spent much of his childhood outdoors: camping, dirt biking, snowmobiling, fishing. He started skating at the age of 2 with a rink in his backyard. His biggest mentor was his grandfather Joe who instilled a competitive fire in him. When McKenna used a metal support frame to learn to skate, Joe would say: “Real hockey players don’t use those.” Moments later, Joe and his grandson were running on the ice.
McKenna grew up to watch Chicago BlackhawksAfter her game modeling why patrick — Just wear down No. 88 whenever possible. He would watch Ken’s highlights on YouTube then immediately go out and try the moves himself.
McKenna dressed her younger sister Cassie in goalie gear for practice in the driveway. Casey is now building his own playing career. Their oldest sister, Madison, organizes hockey camps for First Nations youth — the same community that shaped them.
Joe Trondek is a member of the Whoa’in First Nation who survived Canada’s residential school system, which separated Indigenous children from their families for more than 100 years. McKenna, now 18, often talks about being proud to be from Whitehorse, and he likes to honor his family’s roots. To his mother, it meant everything.
“When I was growing up, being Aboriginal meant you were ashamed of your culture,” Crystal said. “So now we’re trying to instill in our kids — no, be proud of who you are and where you’re from. Hockey is great and it’s fun and all that great stuff. But to hear people tell us he’s a good person, that’s the most important thing.”
McKenna’s special skill set He was evident going into the famous U-10 Brick Invitational Tournament. However, there wasn’t enough time on the ice or to get noticed in Whitehorse. McKenna moved away from her family to British Columbia at the age of 12, living with another family they trusted. This was followed by a stint with the Medicine Hat Tigers (Alberta) in the Canadian Juniors Western Hockey League. McKenna set a franchise record for points by a 16-year-old (97 in 67 games), then followed it up the following season by making the video-game (173 points in 76 games in the regular season, playoffs and Memorial Cup).
He could live in junior, dominate and control the environment. Instead, he wanted to challenge himself in the increasingly competitive Big Ten. College hockey has become less of a showcase and more of an experiment, as older players have had more time, NHL draft picks have spread across rosters, and the NHL has accelerated the talent pool.
“There’s no time and place to play against 24-year-olds,” McKenna said. “I thought it would make that jump to the next level a little easier.”
The Penn State staff blew up as soon as McKenna arrived.
“His IQ, his brain, he sees the game in real time that other players can’t,” assistant coach Andrew Sturtz said. “Sometimes you’re just like, how did he do it?”
McKenna’s best quality may be his vision.
“He’s a player that knows where you are on the ice at all times,” the former teammate said. Aiden FinkWho is now signed with Nashville Predators. “No matter where you are, he knows where you are on the ice. He puts you in the right position. He always makes you succeed.”
Although McKenna found some early success, NHL evaluators began to nit-pick his game. In the first half of the season, some scouts questioned whether McKenna played too much of a perimeter game, or didn’t have enough speed. They thought he was only a threat on the power play and was too lazy defensively.
Lost in that narrative is the rotating cast of McKenna’s linemates (mainly due to injuries, including Fink who missed more than two months) or the fact that this is a tough, heavy league for a teenager. Many high-end players don’t want to say what they’re doing wrong. McKenna listened to the feedback, and he asked his coaches and inner circle: What can I do to improve?
During the second half of the season, McKenna arranged weekly video calls with his delegation at CAA: one of his agents, Matt Williams, former NHL player Byron Ritchie and Jim Hughes (father of Jack and Quinn) who works in player development. They will go over and discuss each shift from the previous weekend. What did you see in the play? What can you do?
McKenna finished the regular season leading the NCAA in points per game (1.46 — 51 points in 35 games) where he scored eight points against Ohio State. His defensive engagement became noticeably stronger. He finished the season leading the Nittany Lions in caused turnovers.
A high-ranking NHL executive whose team is in the draft lottery said he had reservations about McKenna at the start of the season. When asked again last week, he changed his tune.
“His game really stepped up in the second half of the season, especially after the world juniors,” the NHL executive said. “He played nightly in college against players five to seven years older than him. He’s definitely improved his game away from the puck. He’s No. 1 to me.”
A highlight of this Penn State’s season was the Nittany Lions’ first outdoor game in front of a record-breaking crowd of 74,575 at Beaver Stadium. McKenna produced another signature moment: down 2-1 to Michigan State in the second period, McKenna scored to tie the game. His celebration in front of the ecstatic crowd was a highlight of the game. Despite McKenna’s three points, Penn State would lose the game in a 5-4 overtime thriller.
Later that night, the lowlight of McKenna’s season comes: a brawl after a team function at downtown State College. When McKenna Initially faced charges of aggravated assault After a man filed a police report with a broken jaw, the prosecutor Two days later it was reduced to a misdemeanor After reviewing the video evidence. The case is still pending, and several NHL evaluators told ESPN they are not concerned with the incident. “From what I’ve gathered, I don’t think it’s a big deal or something that will affect his draft stock at all,” said one person who scouted McKenna extensively.
Penn State hockey supported McKenna and he never missed a game. But the noise got louder again.
“The first two days (after the incident) were some of the craziest days of my life,” McKenna said. “Obviously, it had a big backlash and blew it out of proportion a little bit. But honestly, I think going through a little bit of adversity at this point, it helps me, honestly. I think I’ve learned a lot from it. I’ve been able to lean on a lot of people.”
His family was in front. They decided it would be best for him to fly home to Whitehorse for a few days.
“We needed to hug each other and ground everyone,” Crystal said. “It was very stressful for everyone. When he left, we all had a new feeling like we could breathe a little bit. We’ll get through this together.”
McKenna knows the spotlight can’t be relinquished. But it has a tendency to flicker when the light is brightest.
“I’ve been in the spotlight for a few years now, so I’m used to it,” McKenna said. “And even this year, especially my draft year, I knew there was going to be a lot and I was ready for it. But I think just being in the rink … that’s my happiness.”
