STATE COLLEGE — Of 16 clothing items hanging at the Pegula Ice Arena team store, six had Gavin McKenna’s name and No. 72 plastered all over them. The future top overall NHL Draft pick’s jersey peppered the stands of a packed-out barn.

On the ice, defenseman Jackson Smith — a 6-4 “thoroughbred” skater who became the first first-round pick in program history this summer — made his Penn State debut. Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes jerseys, presumably in support of Smith and Charlie Cerrato, respectively, popped up.

There’s real NHL talent, more than No. 4 Penn State has seen in its young history as a Division I program, on this 2025-26 team . And there’s a palpable buzz around Happy Valley to go with it.

The “Roar Zone” filled with impassioned students before Penn State a

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