College Sports
Elite recruit Gavin McKenna visits Spartans
The Michigan State hockey program hosted an on-campus visit from Gavin McKenna on Monday, June 30, with the Spartans making a determined push to land the star forward recruit in East Lansing for the upcoming season.
McKenna — the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft — is coming off a monstrous season in the Western Hockey League with the Medicine Hat Tigers. McKenna led Medicine Hat to the Ed Chynoweth Cup, the championship of the WHL, and the Memorial Cup final.
McKenna dazzled with 41 goals and 88 assists in 56 games during the regular season. In 16 playoff games, McKenna led the Tigers with nine goals and 29 assists. Averaging 2.38 points per game, McKenna won the WHL Player of the Year for the 2024-25 season, which included a 54-game point streak.
McKenna also reportedly visited Penn State this past weekend, and other schools, including Boston University and North Dakota, have been battling for McKenna’s commitment. There is also a possibility that McKenna returns to Medicine Hat for another season in the WHL, although most analysts expect him to play one season of college hockey before turning pro.
McKenna, at 5-11, 165 pounds, out of Whitehorse, Canada, has been heralded as a “generational” talent by NHL Central Scouting and was the third youngest player in Canadian Hockey League history to win the Most Valuable Player Award, only behind NHL stars John Tavares and Sidney Crosby.
At just 17 years old, McKenna played for Team Canada at this past year’s U-20 World Junior Tournament, scoring one goal in five games. At the U-18 World Juniors the previous year, McKenna had 10 goals and 10 assists in just seven games, leading Team Canada to a gold medal.
MSU is already expected to be a top team nationally next season with the return of Hobey Baker winner Isaac Howard and Big Ten Goaltender of the Year Trey Augustine. MSU has also added Cayden Lindstrom — the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft and a teammate with McKenna in Medicine Hat — for the upcoming season.
Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on X @Nathaniel_Bott