Gavin McKenna is gearing up for his Penn State debut on Friday against Arizona State at Mullett Arena, and the spotlight is already on him. McKenna is also widely expected to be the top pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.The new NCAA rule change allowing CHL players to play college hockey made McKenna’s arrival possible."Obviously, there's a lot of pressure, but I think over the years I've kind of learned to deal with it," McKenna said. (per NHL.com)"Especially with our team this year, there's a lot of hype, and obviously with that comes a lot of pressure. I've been on teams where there's been a lot of hype around us, and we've been able to pull through."Last season, Penn State reached the Frozen Four, a big factor in McKenna’s decision to join.McKenna shared that he’s thrilled about the the upcoming season and is eager to be a part of it. In his standout season with Medicine Hat, he totaled 129 points, scoring 41 goals and adding 88 assists in 56 games, earning him both the CHL and WHL Player of the Year awards."I think part of my game is patience. Sometimes when I'm out there, I like to slow it down and have guys come to me where I can find guys open. I think it's just kind of knowing when to do it and when to not,” he said.Gavin McKenna admitted the college game feels faster than junior hockey but says practices have been going smoothly.Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky's take on Gavin McKennaPenn State coach Guy Gadowsky pointed out that Gavin McKenna may face challenges going up against older, bigger, players this season but isn’t worried.Gadowsky praised McKenna’s ability to control the pace of play, calling out his impressive quality:“Obviously, his puck skills are elite, the skating is elite, his edges.” Gadowsky said. But I really enjoy, and I think the other players on the team have really enjoyed watching his mind work.”Just as his coach predicted, McKenna picked up his first point with Penn State against Arizona State. He set it up in style with a slick no-look pass to Aiden Fink.Penn State took a 1-0 lead over Arizona after the opening period.