Gavin McKenna Case: Aggravated Assault Charges Dropped
The Centre County District Attorney’s Office announced on Friday that the aggravated assault charges against Gavin McKenna, Penn State hockey star, will be withdrawn.
McKenna, considered the first overall pick in the NHL draft in June, was charged by the State College Police Department for an incident that occurred on January 31. That same day, 74,575 fans witnessed the outdoor hockey game between the Penn State men’s team and Michigan State at Beaver Stadium.
Although the aggravated assault charge is withdrawn, which could have resulted in a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison under Pennsylvania state law, the prosecution will proceed with the lesser charges of simple assault and other summary charges “in connection with the serious injuries suffered by the victim.” McKenna has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
The police report alleged that a man was punched twice on the right side of the face by McKenna after an exchange of words between the man’s group and a group of people with McKenna, who had attended “a hockey event” at Doggie’s Pub after the game at Beaver Stadium.
The complaint also alleged that the man suffered fractures on both sides of his jaw, which would require surgery, and that he was missing a tooth. However, a follow-up by the State College Police confirmed that the man suffered two fractures on one side of his jaw and found no missing teeth. The man underwent surgery and is recovering.
Initially, 18-year-old McKenna was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, and two summary charges of disorderly conduct for harassment and participation in a fight.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, to establish probable cause for aggravated assault, it was necessary to establish that McKenna “acted with the intent to cause serious bodily injury or acted recklessly under circumstances showing extreme indifference to the value of human life”.
Based on a review of video footage taken at the pub and street cameras, both the District Attorney’s Office and the State College Police Department do not believe the evidence supports a charge of aggravated assault.
The District Attorney’s Office announced that it would drop the felony charge and correct the record regarding the injuries suffered by the man.
Penn State’s men’s hockey program will not comment on the ongoing legal matter.
McKenna, a scoring winger from Canada, surprised the hockey world last year by choosing to leave Canadian junior hockey to enter 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-long policy that forced young athletes to 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 range” of $700,000, according to a source.
