Gavin McKenna is facing a felony assault charge
Penn State hockey star Gavin McKenna is facing a felony assault charge, as first reported by the student newspaper Onward State. The incident that led to his charge reportedly occurred after an outdoor game between the Nittany Lions and the Michigan State Spartans.
McKenna is charged for a felony count of aggravated assault that “attempts to cause great bodily injury or inflicts injury with gross indifference,” according to the state Onward report. In addition, the 18-year-old faces a misdemeanor charge of simple assault, as well as two summary charges. For the criminal offense alone, he faces a sentence of 20 years in prison.
The incident happened on Saturday evening at around 10:35 p.m. McKenna and friends were at a bar in downtown State College. An argument ensued, and the victim was left with a broken jaw.
McKenna is in his first season of Penn State hockey after spending last season with the VHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers. With the Tigers, the 2026 star NHL draft the prospect caused quite a stir. His last season in Medicine Hat, in particular, took the hockey world by storm. He scored 41 goals and 129 points in 56 regular season games.
McKenna is a top pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. This season, McKenna had 11 goals and 32 points for the Nittany Lions. He also represented Team Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championships in late December. He scored four goals and 14 points for the Canadians in that tournament.
Outward Sports has reached out to Penn State Hockey for comment on the matter, but no statement has been released at this time.
2026-02-04 23:24:00
