“A watershed moment”: Gavin McKenna’s NCAA leap to Penn State reshapes CHL-college hockey pipeline for future stars, reckons NHL analyst

NHL analyst Chris Peters called Gavin McKenna’s decision to commit to Penn State University a turning point for the connection between major junior hockey and the NCAA. Widely expected to go first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, McKenna made his choice after visiting several campuses last weekend.

Penn State landed the highly touted prospect with a reported $700,000 NIL offer—more than twice what Michigan State was said to have put on the table.

Peters was asked about the significance of McKenna's decision on TSN's "FanDuel Overdrive" on Tuesday.

“It is a bit of a watershed moment," Peters said (0:30 onwards). "It's obviously been trending in this direction for the last little bit.”

Peters explained that the NCAA updated its rules to allow CHL players to become eligible for college hockey. In the past, they were treated more like pros and barred from participating. He sees this shift as a major win for the players.

McKenna's 129 points led the Hat Tigers to a WHL title and Memorial Cup final.

"When you see a player like him, there's still more that can be gained from playing junior hockey," Peters said. "But I think we've seen Gavin McKenna kind of reach the peak of what he was going to be able to do there."

By choosing Penn State, a program without an NHL regular alum, McKenna can make his mark and influence other top juniors.

"Now they're seeing him take this pretty substantial step in not just going to college hockey, but going to a program that isn't necessarily one of the blue bloods," Peters added.

Peters said that it's an opportunity for Gavin McKenna to truly make his mark on a program and leave college hockey as one of the most impactful recruits the sport has ever seen.

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Chris Peters on Gavin McKenna's $700,000 deal

Chris Peters noted that this would be a unique deal ($700,000), as most hockey players won't have the earning potential through NIL that Gavin McKenna does. The deal shows Penn State was willing to offer substantially more than other schools to land the prized recruit.

“If he (McKenna) takes the highest amount, that opens the door for some of these other players to earn higher dollars," Peters said. (2:30 onwards) "For guys going into the NHL immediately out of college, it wouldn't necessarily make much sense for them to stick around.”

For players heading straight to the NHL, staying in college with an NIL deal may not make sense. But for those likely to spend time in the AHL first, NIL deals could actually offer more money than minor league salaries. This gives players an incentive to prolong their college careers.

The new CBA rule extends drafting rights to age 22 and also allows teams and players more flexibility. Teams can defer players, while players can stay in school if it's better for development, noted Peters.