by Jacob Cheris/CHN Reporter (@JCheris17)
Fresh off its first trip to the Frozen Four, the offseason storylines surrounding Penn State have ramped up.
Most notably, the Nittany Lions — according to Hockey Night in Canada’s Ellliotte Friedman’s 32 Thoughts Podcast — are the frontrunners for 2026 projected No. 1 overall NHL Draft pick Gavin McKenna.
Whether that happens remains to be seen, but Penn State’s profile in the hockey world is the highest its been so far, and the school as a whole is prepared to fully leverage its ability to revenue share in the new NCAA landscape.
The most recent storyline, however, came behind the bench. Guy Gadowsky’s long-time assistant coach, Keith Fisher, is leaving to become the next head coach at Lindenwood. Fisher and Gadowsky have been a coaching tandem for 20 years, beginning in the 2005-06 season at Princeton. The St. Cloud State graduate was instrumental in how Penn State recruits its players, not necessarily finding the most high-end NHL draft picks, but finding the right guys that fit Penn State’s culture.
Since the NCAA made major junior players eligible to play in college hockey beginning this upcoming season, Penn State has taken full advantage. The Nittany Lions recruited four players directly from the CHL once the rule changed: Defenseman Nolan Collins, goaltender Josh Fleming, and forwards Shea Van Olm and Luke Misa.
Forward Lev Katzin, originally committed to Harvard, is coming to Penn State from the Guelph Storm of the OHL, however he started out the season with the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL.
That doesn’t even including defenseman Jackson Smith, a projected first-round pick in the upcoming NHL Draft. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic reported that he committed to Penn State for 2025-26, however nothing has been finalized and he is slated to visit State College shortly.
Cam Robinson of Eliteprospects reported that Penn State does not appear to be done recruiting, and there have been numerous rumors connecting them to Porter Martone and Michael Misa, both of whom are slated to be top-5 NHL Draft picks in June.
Penn State is hardly the only program going through this transition, but recent movement is a sign of things to come. Late CHL signings would push out, or delay, some other recruits.
The CHL…
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