Felony Charge Dropped: Penn State’s NHL Prospect Gavin McKenna Cleared in Legal Case

Penn State hockey standout Gavin McKenna is set to have a significant legal burden lifted as the Centre County District Attorney’s Office announced on Friday that the felony aggravated assault charge against him will be dismissed.

The charges stemmed from an incident on January 31, the same day a record-breaking crowd of 74,575 fans gathered to watch Penn State face off against Michigan State in an outdoor match at Beaver Stadium. McKenna, widely regarded as the top prospect for the upcoming NHL draft in June, found himself facing four counts brought by the State College Police Department.

While the aggravated assault charge, which could have resulted in a 20-year prison sentence under Pennsylvania law, will not proceed, the District Attorney’s Office confirmed it will pursue a misdemeanor simple assault charge along with other summary offenses. These charges relate to the significant injuries the victim sustained during the altercation. McKenna’s preliminary hearing is set for Wednesday.

According to the police report, the altercation began after a verbal exchange between the victim’s group and McKenna’s party, who had all attended a hockey event at Doggie’s Pub following the Beaver Stadium game. McKenna allegedly punched the victim twice on the right side of his face.

The initial complaint indicated that the victim suffered fractures to both sides of his jaw and was missing a tooth, requiring surgical intervention. However, a subsequent investigation by State College Police clarified that the victim had two fractures on one side of his jaw, with no tooth loss reported. The victim has since undergone surgery and is on the path to recovery.

At just 18 years old, McKenna faced serious allegations, including first-degree felony aggravated assault, which involves attempting or causing serious injury with extreme indifference, alongside misdemeanor simple assault and two counts of disorderly conduct for harassment and fighting.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, to establish probable cause for a felony charge of aggravated assault meant establishing that McKenna “acted with the intent to cause serious bodily injury or acted recklessly under circumstances showing an extreme indifference to the value of human life.”

Based on a review of video footage taken from the pub and street cameras, both the District Attorney’s Office and the State College Police Department do not believe that a charge of aggravated assault is supported by the evidence.

The District Attorney’s Office said it is withdrawing the felony count and correcting the record regarding the injuries the man suffered.

Penn State’s men’s hockey program said it would not comment on an ongoing legal matter. The NHL told ESPN earlier this week that it is aware of the charges against McKenna but offered no comment, as he is not a player in the league yet.

McKenna, a high-scoring winger from Canada, stunned the hockey world last year by opting to leave Canadian junior hockey for Penn State’s men’s hockey program. In 2024, the NCAA ruled that Canadian junior players were now eligible to play on Division I teams, ending a decades-old policy that made young athletes choose between the CHL and college hockey. McKenna was one of the first Canadian junior players to make the jump to the NCAA. His NIL money for attending Penn State is “in the ballpark” of $700,000, a source told ESPN at the time.