About this episode

Guy Gadowsky discusses Gavin McKenna's development at Penn State in the context of the 2026 NHL Draft.

Gavin McKenna is one of the most talked-about players in the 2026 NHL Draft, and after a season at Penn State, his college hockey experience adds important context to his evaluation. Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky joins Jim Connelly and USCHO’s 2026 NHL Draft Special to discuss what stood out about McKenna from the start, how his game developed over the season, what college hockey demanded from him, and what fans should understand beyond the highlights, rankings and draft attention. Topics include: • What made Gavin McKenna special from the start • How his game developed at Penn State • What college hockey revealed about his NHL projection • Playing against older, stronger NCAA competition • How elite players adjust when opponents key on them • What fans may miss when judging top draft prospects • Penn State’s role in McKenna’s development path Find all of our podcasts at USCHO.com/podcasts

People in this episode

Host: Jim Connelly

Guest: Guy Gadowsky

Topics covered

• NHL Draft
• Gavin McKenna
• college hockey
• player development
• NCAA competition
• hockey evaluation

Keywords

• 2026 NHL Draft
• Gavin McKenna
• Guy Gadowsky
• Penn State
• college hockey
• NCAA
• player evaluation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Penn State

More episodes of USCHO Weekend Review

• 2026 NHL Draft preview: college hockey’s record first-round surge · June 26, 2026 · 14 min
• 2026 NHL Draft preview: Tynan Lawrence and Oscar Hemming, two Hockey East draft names to know · June 25, 2026 · 17 min
• 2026 NHL Draft Preview: Dave Gregory on Central Scouting, college hockey, players to watch · June 23, 2026 · 22 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the USCHO Weekend Review podcast page.