Men's Hockey Introduces Nine Newcomers To 2025-26 RosterMen's Hockey Introduces Nine Newcomers To 2025-26 Roster

Men's Hockey Introduces Nine Newcomers To 2025-26 Roster

Comprised of four forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders, the class features seven incoming freshmen and a pair of transfers.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Earlier this month head coach Guy Gadowsky and the Penn State men's ice hockey team finalized its 2025-26 recruiting class. Comprised of four forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders, the class features seven incoming freshmen and a pair of transfers.

On the offensive side of the puck, Penn State introduces some potent offensive weapons to go with a strong returning cast of scoring threats. The Nittany Lions will look to improve on their 3.48 goals per game average, a mark that was good for third in the Big Ten and eighth in the nation a season ago.

Penn State returns 75 percent of its total offense and 83 percent of its goal scoring, including each of its top six goal scorers from its 2024-25 roster while adding seven skaters who combined for 563 points on 201 goals and 362 assists in 435 games across five different leagues last season.

MHKY-Welcome-Katzin

Forwards

Lev Katzin // 05-13-2007 // F // 5-8 // 175 // L // Thornhill, Ontario // Guelph Storm (OHL)

 

Katzin is fresh off a Gold Medal with Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championships in the spring where he scored four goals while adding six assists for 10 points in seven games. Katzin jumped to the OHL back in November and finished the year with 48 points for the Guelph Storm, good for fourth on the team. Katzin tallied 16 goals and 32 assists in 44 OHL games after beginning the season in the USHL, earning OHL First-Team All-Rookie recognition and being named the Storm’s Rookie of the Year.

Katzin spent the entire 2023-24 season and began 2024-25 with the Green Bay Gamblers registering 42 points on 14 goals and 28 assists in 74 combined games between regular-season and postseason. Katzin landed on the 2023-24 USHL All-Rookie Second Team, and after making the jump to the OHL last fall, was named Rookie of the Month in December and was also a two-time OHL Rookie of the Week in 2024-25.

The Thornhill, Ontario, Canada, native also won gold with Team Canada White at the 2023 World U17 Hockey Challenge, the first gold for Canada at the event since 2015. Katzin collected three points in eight games on two goals and one assist in the tournament.

Katzin spent his time prior to junior hockey with the Toronto Marlboros U14-U16 AAA squads serving as an alternate captain each season while earning the 2022-23 U16 Buck Houle Award after leading all players in his age group with 143 points in 81 games on 56 goals and 87 assists. Katzin led the Marlboros to the Greater Toronto Hockey League U16 Championship that year, collecting 64 of those 143 points in 35 GTHL games with 28 goals and 36 assists. Katzin finished second in his age group the prior year with 96 points in 54 games on 49 goals and 47 assists for the Marlboros U15 squad.

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Gavin McKenna // 12-20-2007 // F // 6-0 // 170 // L // Whitehorse, Yukon // Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

McKenna, the consensus No. 1 overall pick for the 2026 NHL Draft, will make the 3,442-mile journey to Hockey Valley from Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada after spending the past three seasons with Medicine Hat in the Western Hockey League. He led the Tigers to the WHL Championship this past season and a berth in the Memorial Cup Finals. The 6-foot, 170-pound, left winger was named the WHL and CHL Player of the Year after registering an eye-popping 173 points in 76 games split between the regular-season, playoffs and Memorial Cup. He became the third-youngest CHL Player of the Year behind NHL greats Sidney Crosby and John Tavares.

McKenna finished second in the WHL with 129 points during the regular season while his 88 assists paced the league and his 41 goals were good for fifth to go along with a plus-60 rating, the best plus/minus in the league. He finished the regular season with points in 40-straight games before adding points in his first 14 playoff games. The 54-game point streak is a modern CHL record dating back to 2000.

During his first full season in the WHL in 2023-24 he was named both the WHL and CHL Rookie of the Year posting 97 points in 61 games on 34 goals and 63 assists before adding two goals and four assists for six points in five playoff games. In 162 total WHL games with Medicine Hat, McKenna amassed 295 points on 94 goals and 201 assists.

McKenna has also been a dominant force for his country, helping Team Canada to the gold medal at the 2024 U18 World Championships, setting a Canadian record for points in a single U18 tournament with 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in seven games. His standout performance included a hat-trick in a 6-4 victory over Team USA in the gold medal game. He also won gold alongside incoming teammate Jackson Smith at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scoring three goals with three assists for six points in five games.

McKenna also donned the Maple Leaf this past winter as the youngest member of Team Canada on the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship roster, scoring one goal in five games played.

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Luke Misa // 11-25-2005 // F // 5-10 // 180 // L // Oakville, Ontario // Brampton Steelheads (OHL)

 

Misa was drafted in the fifth round (No. 150) of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames and descends on Hockey Valley after spending the past four seasons playing major juniors in the Ontario Hockey League for the Mississauga/Brampton Steelheads. Misa is coming off back-to-back 80-plus-point seasons in the OHL, finishing 2024-25 tied for 17th in the league in scoring with 85 points while ranking tied for 18th in both goals (34) and assists (51) in 67 games. Misa added 12 points on two goals and 10 assists in six playoff games for the Steelheads.

Overall, in 259 regular-season OHL games, Misa scored 77 goals while adding 158 assists for 235 points including 60 goals and 106 assists for 166 points in 133 games over his past two seasons north of the border. Misa has added four goals and 17 assists for 21 points in 27 career playoff games.

Prior to his time in the OHL, Misa played AAA hockey for the Oakville Rangers during the 2019-20 season. Splitting time between the U15 and U16 teams, he registered 40 goals with 39 assists for 79 points in 44 total games between the regular and postseason.

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Shea Van Olm // 03-05-2004 // F // 6-1 // 200 // L // Calgary, Alberta // Spokane Chiefs (WHL)

 

Van Olm has spent parts of the past five seasons in the Western Hockey League most recently with the Spokane Chiefs where he wore an ‘A’ during the 2024-25 season while leading the team to the WHL finals. Van Olm registered 92 points in 66 regular season games this past season to rank ninth in the WHL. He tallied a league-best 49 goals while adding 43 assists during the regular-season before adding 31 points in 20 playoff games on 13 goals and 18 assists as Spokane secured the Western Conference title and advanced to the WHL Championship series.

His 123 total points in 86 games were the sixth-most in the WHL this season. Van Olm earned WHL Second All-Star Team accolades following the season and was also named the Chiefs 2025 Humanitarian of the Year.

Van Olm spent time with the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Kamloops Blazers in prior seasons, playing a total of 308 games in the WHL between regular and postseason play racking up 230 points on 102 goals and 128 assists including an eye-popping 189 points on 86 goals and 103 assists in 160 games over the past two seasons. Van Olm won the WHL Championship with Edmonton in 2022 and appeared in back-to-back Memorial Cups, 2022 and 2023.

Prior to his time in the WHL, Van Olm spent most of the 2019-20 season with the NWCAA Stampeders U16 AAA squad, scoring 35 goals with 25 assists for 60 points in just 35 games before elevating to the Calgary Flames U18 AAA team appearing in a pair of games before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the remainder of the season.

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Defense

Switching over to defense the Nittany Lions add a good mix of size and skill to an already established D-corps with one NCAA transfer and a pair of CHL blueliners.

 

Nolan Collins // 04-28-2004 // D // 6-4 // 220 // R // Whitby, Ontario // Flint Firebirds (OHL)

 

Collins joins Penn State after spending the past four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, including serving as an Alternate Captain each of the past three seasons with both the Sudbury Wolves and the Flint Firebirds. For Flint in 2024-25, Collins skated in 36 games, scoring four goals while adding 13 assists for 17 points before his season was cut short due to injury.

From 2021-2024, Collins played for the Sudbury Wolves, skating in a total of 193 games while registering 74 points on 18 goals and 56 assists. Collins played in 229 total OHL games, collecting 91 points on 22 goals and 69 assists. He was named the Sudbury Wolves Best Defensive Player and an OHL All-Rookie Finalist in 2021-22. Collins competed for Team Canada at the 2022 U18 World Championships in Landshut, Germany, and was drafted in the sixth round (No. 167) by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2022 NHL Draft.

Collins spent his youth hockey days prior to the OHL playing in the Whitby Wildcats AAA organization with his best season coming in 2019-20 as he registered 35 points on 10 goals and 25 assists at the U16 level. He was later elevated to the U18 squad, playing in just one playoff game before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the remainder of that season.

MHKY-Welcome-Gadowsky

Mac Gadowsky // 01-10-2002 // D // 6-3 // 190 // L // State College, Pa. // Army West Point (AHA)

 

Gadowsky, the son of head coach Guy Gadowsky, arrives in Hockey Valley after spending the past two seasons at Army West Point. Gadowsky had a breakout campaign in 2024-25 where he led all defensemen in the country in points (42) and goals (16) while being named a Hobey Baker Award Top-10 Finalist. He became the first Black Knight ever to earn that honor and makes Penn State the only school in the country with multiple Hobey Top-10 Finalists returning in 2025-26, joining Aiden Fink.

Gadowsky’s 42 points were a program-record for Army in the AHA era (2003-present) and were the fourth-highest total for a defenseman in AHA history. Gadowsky was named a First-Team All-American at season’s end as well as a First-Team All-AHA selection and the AHA Defeseman of the Year after being a two-time AHA Defenseman of the Month and a five-time AHA Defenseman of the Week throughout the season. He was also the only player in the country to register 40-plus points and blocked shots.

As a freshman in 2023-24, Gadowsky was an Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Year Finalist and was named to the AHA All-Rookie Team after registering 23 points on four goals and 19 assists in 28 games. Prior to his time at West Point he spent parts of two seasons in the North American Hockey League with the Springfield Jr. Blues and the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, compiling 32 points on five goals and 27 assists in 78 NAHL contests.

Gadowsky spent the 2020-21 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 18U squad scoring four goals with 26 assists for 30 points in 40 games played following a brief stint at Avon Old Farms in Connecticut during his prep year in 2019-20.

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Jackson Smith // 03-13-2007 // D // 6-4 // 195 // L // Calgary, Alberta // Tri-City Americans (WHL)

 

Smith descends on Hockey Valley after being selected 14th overall in the first round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets, becoming the first-ever first round pick to lace up his skates for the Nittany Lions.

The Calgary, Alberta, Canada, native spent the past two-plus seasons with the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League, registering career-highs across the board with 11 goals and 43 assists for 54 points in 68 games this past season. Smith added one goal and two assists in a pair of playoff games for the Americans. Smith’s 54 points in 2024-25 ranked as the 10th most among WHL blueliners while his 43 assists tied for ninth.

In 143 total WHL games, including playoffs, Smith tallied 88 points on 20 goals and 68 assists. Smith earned team recognition each season with Tri-City, being named the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year and the 2024-25 Defenseman of the Year.

Smith has also excelled at the national level for his country and was teammates with fellow incoming freshman Lev Katzin this spring as Team Canada took gold at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championships. Smith skated in all seven games scoring four goals from the backend while adding one assist for five points and a plus-7 rating.

Last Summer, Smith also donned the Maple Leaf and earned gold with Team Canada alongside Gavin McKenna at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton. The Canadians edged Czechia 2-1 in the gold medal game last August. Smith skated in five games collecting three assists during the tournament.

MHKY-Welcome-Fleming

Goaltenders

Finishing in the crease, the Nittany Lions added a pair of net-minders to join rising senior John Seifarth.

 

Josh Fleming // 11-10-2004 // G // 6-2 // 175 // L // Montreal, Quebec // Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL)

 

Staying between the pipes, Penn State welcomes Josh Fleming, who arrives in Hockey Valley after spending parts of the past three seasons with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Fleming appeared in 130 games for the Titan over the past three seasons with his best year coming this past season as he posted a 29-20-3 record with a .908 save percentage and a 3.08 goals-against average in 53 games played.

Fleming ranked fourth in the QMJHL in wins and 13th in save percentage while his 1,542 saves were the second-most in the league during the 2024-25 campaign. He was named Team MVP following the season along with earning Team Fan Choice Award and the Team Student of the Year accolades. Fleming was also named the Titan Rookie of the Year following the 2022-23 season.

The Montreal, Quebec, Canada, native finished his junior career posting a 56-65-9 record in 139 career games for Acadie-Bathurst.

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Kevin Reidler // 09-02-2004 // G // 6-6 // 205 // L // Gavle, Sweden // Nebraska-Omaha (NCHC)

 

Reidler arrives in Hockey Valley by way of Nebraska-Omaha of the NCHC, where he saw action in eight games with five starts as a freshman for the Mavericks. Reidler posted a 4-1-0 record with a 2.75 goals-against average and .920 save percentage in limited action. The 6-foot-6 rising sophomore was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the fifth round (pick No. 151) of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and earned a silver medal with Team Sweden at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championships played in his home country.

Prior to his time with UNO, Reidler spent one season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League (USHL) after arriving in the States. Reidler was named a to the USHL Second All-Star Team after posting a 27-5-2 record with Dubuque during the 2023-24 campaign. He registered a 2.86 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage helping the Saints secure the Eastern Conference crown. In the Clark Cup Playoffs, Reidler started all 11 games for Dubuque, posting a 7-4-0 mark with a 1.69 GAA and .934 save percentage while leading the Saints to a runner-up finish after dropping the championship series to Fargo, three games to one.

Prior to arriving in the United States, Reidler played for AIK J20 and J18 in Sweden. Following in the footsteps of Arsenii Sergeev, Reidler is now the third Nittany Lion net-minder to have been selected by an NHL team (Arsenii Sergeev – 2021 Calgary – Seventh Round – 205th overall & Eamon McAdam – 2013 Islanders – Third Round – 70th overall).

 

Recruiting classes are subject to change and more student-athletes can be signed throughout the entirety of the 2024-25 signing period.