Projected No. 1 NHL draft pick charged with felony assault

Field Level Media
05 Feb 2026, 06:49 GMT+10

(Photo credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images)

Penn State forward Gavin McKenna, who was expected to be the top overall draft pick in the 2026 NHL draft, was charged with first-degree felony aggravated assault, stemming from an incident on Jan. 31.

McKenna, an 18-year-old Canada native, also was charged with misdemeanor simple assault and two summary counts of disorderly conduct by the Pennsylvania Magisterial District Court after what was described as a fight.

No date has been set for a preliminary hearing.

The incident referenced in the charges happened on the same day that Penn State lost to Michigan State 5-4 in overtime during an outdoor game at on-campus Beaver Stadium in front of a crowd of 74,575.

'We are aware that charges have been filed; however, as this is an ongoing legal matter, we will not have any further comment,' Penn State said in a statement.

McKenna was among the first Canadian junior hockey players to take advantage of a 2024 ruling that allowed players from the country to jump into college hockey. According to an ESPN report, McKenna is making an estimated $700,000 in NIL money.

McKenna has 11 goals and 21 assists in 26 games for the Nittany Lions this season.

--Field Level Media

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Toronto Telegraph.

More Information

Business

Section

Tech hit the skids again, but Dow Jones gains 260 points

NEW YORK, New York - AI stocks continued to be pounded on Wednesday dragging the tech sector sharply lower, however the Dow Jones surged...

From cars to clothing, Latin America resists China import surge

HONG KONG: From factory floors to street markets, governments and businesses across Latin America are scrambling to respond to a surge...

Airlines warn supply chain woes will linger amid political risk

SINGAPORE: As the global aviation industry gathers in Singapore, airline executives and regulators are confronting a tougher path to...

Gold, oil and metals tumble after Warsh named next Fed chair

SINGAPORE: A broad selloff swept through global commodities markets on Monday, dragging down prices of precious metals, energy, and...

Tech stocks dive, lead broader market lower

NEW YORK, New York - Wall Street finished well in the red on Tuesday as investors bailed out of tehnology stocks. The losses came despite...

Warsh nomination could test Fed independence under Trump

WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump's decision to nominate Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the Federal Reserve places a former...

Canada

Section