STATE COLLEGE – Gavin McKenna, a highly ranked player for the 2026 NHL draft, has been accused of assault.
McKenna, who is a first-year student at Penn State, has been accused of aggravated assault by the police in State College, Pennsylvania. He is also facing charges for simple assault, disorderly conduct, fighting, and harassment.
The incident happened on January 31. State College Police filed the criminal complaint on Wednesday.
In a statement, State College Police mentioned that it is claimed McKenna hit a 21-year-old man in the face during the fight, causing injuries that needed surgery.
McKenna was brought before Judge McClain for the charges and was released after paying a bail amount of $20,000 that doesn’t require cash upfront. A preliminary hearing is set for February 11, based on the information provided.
Aggravated assault is the most serious type of assault charge in Pennsylvania law and is seen as a felony.
“We know that charges have been made; however, since this is an ongoing legal issue, we won’t be making any further statements,” said John Hanna, who works in communications at Penn State, in an email to The Canadian Press.
McKenna, who is 18 years old and comes from Whitehorse, Yukon, played three seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League before joining Penn State.
This season, he has scored 11 goals and made 21 assists in 24 games with the Nittany Lions.
McKenna has also played in the world junior hockey championship twice and helped Canada win a bronze medal last month in Minneapolis-St. Paul, finishing as the second-highest scorer in the tournament with 14 points in seven games.
This news report from The Canadian Press was first shared on February 4, 2026.
Leave a Reply