McKenna also become the first-ever Nittany Lion to win the Big Ten Scoring Title with 38 points on 11 goals and 27 assists in 24 conference games, the second-most points ever for a conference scoring champion behind only NHL standouts Kyle Connor and Cole Caufield who each scored 43 points during their scoring champion seasons.
The Whitehorse, Yukon native was also the first Penn State freshman to reach 50 points in a single-season as his 51 points are the second-most points in a single-season all-time just two shy of Fink’s program record.
McKenna’s 51 points are tops in the B1G and second in the nation among rookies while ranking tied for second in the conference and fourth in the nation overall. His 36 assists are one of nine Penn State records set this year and rank second in the nation behind Michigan’s Michael Hage with 38.
The rookie set a single-season and career record for the Nittany Lions averaging 1.46 points per game to lead the Big Ten and rank second nationally while McKenna’s 15 goals are tied for the fifth-most by a Nittany Lion freshman all-time.
McKenna, the 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 single-game 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.
