Gavin McKenna, the projected top pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, is set to carry his former WHL jersey number into NCAA hockey as he begins his first season with Penn State University. The program announced on Tuesday that McKenna will don the No. 72, a number he wore while playing with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League, where he had a remarkable season scoring 129 points in 56 games.

Historically, No. 72 has never been worn by a player in Penn State's hockey program, with the previous highest number being No. 35. McKenna is not the only incoming freshman challenging the program's tradition of lower jersey numbers; fellow freshman and Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Nolan Collins will take the ice wearing No. 77 next season. Additionally, Shea Van Olm, a former WHL standout, will make his mark in the program by wearing No. 93, establishing a new record for the highest jersey number in Penn State history.

In contrast, Jackson Smith, who was selected in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets, is set to wear No. 7 as he joins the team. A recent rule change permitting former Canadian Hockey League players to participate in NCAA hockey has positioned McKenna as one of the most anticipated prospects to play at the collegiate level before entering the NHL Draft. The 17-year-old forward committed to Penn State on July 8, after considering an offer from Michigan State University. With a remarkable season behind them, highlighted by the program's first Frozen Four appearance, the Nittany Lions, bolstered by the return of Nashville Predators prospect Aiden Fink—who concluded the previous season as a Hobey Baker Award finalist—are hopeful of contending for a national title next spring, possibly in what would be McKenna's sole collegiate season before joining the ranks of the NHL.