Gavin McKenna Named Hobey Baker Award Top-10 FinalistGavin McKenna Named Hobey Baker Award Top-10 Finalist

Gavin McKenna Named Hobey Baker Award Top-10 Finalist

McKenna becomes the second Nittany Lion in consecutive seasons to be named a Hobey Baker Finalist following Aiden Fink last season

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Freshman Gavin McKenna (Whitehorse, Yukon) has been named a Top-10 Finalist for the 2026 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as announced on NHL Network on Wednesday afternoon. The award is presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey and McKenna becomes the second Nittany Lion in consecutive seasons to be recognized as a finalist following Aiden Fink last season.

Earlier today, McKenna was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year while also landing on the All-B1G Second-Team and the B1G All-Freshman Team as the lone unanimous rookie selection.

McKenna is one of four Big Ten finalists for the 2026 Hobey Baker Award and is one of two freshman up for the honor.

McKenna is also the first-ever Nittany Lion to earn Big Ten Scoring Champion honors as he paced the league with 38 points on 11 goals and 27 assists in 24 conference games. His 38 points are the second-most ever by a B1G Scoring Champion, only trailing Michigan’s Kyle Connor (2015-16) and Wisconsin’s Cole Caufield (2020-21) who each tallied 43 points in league games on their way to earning the scoring title.

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The Whitehorse, Yukon native became the first-ever Nittany Lion rookie and third player all-time to eclipse 50 points in a season as his 51 points are currently the second-most in a single-season all-time at Penn State, the most-ever by a freshman, and just two shy of Aiden Fink’s program record from last year.

McKenna leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the nation with his 51 points averaging 1.50 points per game average, which is currently a Nittany Lion single-season standard, and also tops in the conference and second in the nation. The freshman’s 36 assists are a new single-season program record and rank second in the nation while his 15 goals are second in the Big Ten among freshman and tied for eighth nationally for first-year players.

McKenna leads the team with 14 multi-point games this season and is also riding a career-best nine-game point streak, the longest by a Nittany Lion since the 2018-19 season when Evan Barratt set the program record with points in 11-straight games.

The rookie, and potential No. 1 pick in the upcoming NHL Draft, has twice been named the HCA National Rookie of the Month in October and February while earning four Big Ten weekly awards including First Star of the Week on a pair of occasions.

Back in February, McKenna set program records with eight points and seven assists in an 11-4 victory over Ohio State helping the Nittany Lions to their most goals scored in a Big Ten game all-time and tying the overall single-game program record for goals.

Five of McKenna’s seven assists were primary assists while the eight points were the most in an NCAA Division I game in 39 years. His seven assists that night were the most in a game since 1983 and the most-ever by an individual on a Big Ten team both pre and post league inception.

The eight points and seven assists are also the most in a single-game all-time in the 13 years of the Big Ten Conference.

Phase two fan voting is open now and will run through March 30 and is transitioning from the traditional web-only voting format to a streamlined text-based voting system this year.

Fans can cast their vote by going to the voting website hobeybaker.com/vote. Fans can find their favorite player, then text to vote by following the instructions.

The Hobey Hat Trick will be announced on April 2 with the winner to be awarded during the 2026 Frozen Four in Las Vegas on April 10.

For more information on the 2024-25 season, visit the men's hockey ticket page at GoPSUsports.com or call 1-800-NITTANY Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.