Penn State hockey player Gavin McKenna has been charged with felony aggravated assault, Us Weekly can confirm.
The 18-year-old athlete was charged on Wednesday, February 4, with one count aggravated assault — attempts to cause SBI or causes injury with extreme indifference, according to court documents obtained by Us.
McKenna is also facing a misdemeanor charge of simple assault and summary charges of harassment — subject other[s] to physical contact and disorderly conduct engage[d] in fighting, per the filing. (Local ABC affiliate WHTM was first to report the news.)
The incident allegedly involving McKenna — who is projected to be a top 2026 NHL Draft pick — took place on Saturday, January 31, according to the docs. The case is currently “awaiting preliminary hearing,” according to court records.
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Us Weekly has reached out to a rep for Penn State’s men’s hockey team for comment.
The date of McKenna’s alleged altercation coincides with Penn State’s most recent home hockey game against Michigan State, held at Beaver Stadium in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
The No. 5 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions lost to the No. 2. Michigan State Spartans in a close 5-4 game. During the game, McKenna, a freshman, secured one goal and one assist.
While details about the alleged altercation have not been released, State College Police filed charges against McKenna on Wednesday, per the police report.
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McKenna’s case is currently assigned to Magisterial District Judge Casey McClain in State College Borough, Centre County, Pennsylvania.
Prior to McKenna’s alleged involvement in the reported assault, the athlete was a rising star on the university’s men’s hockey team.
According to his team bio, McKenna is rated as the No. 1 prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft.
Before playing for the Nittany Lions, McKenna played three seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers as part of the Western Hockey League, leading the team to the 2025 WHL Championship and a Memorial Cup Finals, per his bio.
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Last year, McKenna was named the 2025 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and Western Hockey League (WHL) Player of the Year, becoming the third youngest CHL Player of the Year behind NHL icons Sidney Crosby and John Tavares.
McKenna, who is from Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, was part of Team Canada’s 2024 U18 World Championship team when they won the gold medal. He scored 10 goals with 10 assists for 20 points in seven games, according to his Penn State profile.
Penn State hockey head coach Guy Gadowsky, meanwhile, previously applauded McKenna for being “very polite” and “respectful” during the team’s media day via WHTM in September 2025.
“His work ethic is excellent, he fits into our locker room extremely well,” Gadowsky added.
So far, during his freshman year at Penn State, McKenna has already scored 11 goals and leads the team in points with 32 scored in 24 games played.
McKenna last posted on social media on Tuesday, February 3. He shared a series of photos of himself and his teammates in their hockey uniforms out on the ice. “Hockey valley 👏,” he captioned the upload.
McKenna and the Nittany Lions are set to play their next game away at Michigan on Friday, February 13.
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