McKenna has made lots of fans during his first college season, including some of his Michigan State foes.
“I don’t think there should be any question that he’s the No. 1 pick,” said Spartans forward Porter Martone, who played with McKenna at the World Juniors. “He’s so skilled with the puck, and he’s a tremendous hockey player.”
Martone, selected by the Philadelphia Flyers with the No. 6 pick of the 2025 NHL Draft, is tied for fourth among NCAA freshmen with 28 points (14 goals, 14 assists) in 22 games, and his average of 1.27 points per game is 12th among all players.
“I think he’s taken a big step,” Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said. “We were happy to see him take a step forward as far as the competition of play, playing against men, bigger, stronger bodies, at the NCAA level. And he’s responded really well. I think, for him to realize a little bit what it’s like to be a pro, in the gym a lot more and having more time in between games to help develop his body, I think is going to help him tremendously.”
Martone also has a lot of experience playing outdoors.
“I have a pond behind my house (in Peterborough, Ontario) that I’ve always played on since I was a little kid,” he said. “I skated on there probably for six hours a day. … Every Boxing Day (Dec. 26), my whole family would come over, we’d have, like, 50 people out there playing the game. My dad makes three Olympic-size rinks out there. We have a four wheeler, and we flood it ourselves. So I’ve been doing ever since I was a little kid.
“But I’ve never played an actual outdoor game with a huge stadium, so that’s what I’m getting excited for.”
It will be a full weekend of hockey at Beaver Stadium, with the Penn State women’s team, which is 24-4-0 and ranked No. 4 nationally, playing Robert Morris University on Friday.
Then comes Saturday, with upwards of 70,000 people expected for the men’s game.
“We’re really, really proud of our football stadium, Beaver Stadium,” Kraft said. “To be able to do this with not only our men’s program, but both programs are ranked in the top five and playing at a high level. To showcase hockey here in Hockey Valley, in what I believe is the most iconic venue in all of sport, that’s pretty special. Our fans rally really, really well, and that energy, like a big football game, it starts to accelerate itself … and it’ll be at a fever pitch Saturday afternoon. You can feel the excitement and the energy.
“It’s a pretty awesome feeling, because I think everyone understands, it’s the first time we’re doing it and hopefully we can continue to do this type of event. But the first is always something special.”
