Penn State's McKenna Named Hobey Baker Candidate

0:00It's March 18th, here's your NHL news in two minutes. Subscribe to stay locked in all season. Gavin McKenna, the star freshman forward from Penn State, made the list of 10 candidates for the Holby Baker Memorial Award. This honor goes to the best player in NCAA men's hockey each year. The 18-year-old leaves North American skaters for the 2026 NHL draft and sits second nationally with 51 points in 34. Games Earlier this week, McKenna also earned Big Ten freshman of the year honors. He's the first Penn State player to top conference scoring as a rookie, with 38 points in 24 league games. His 1.50 average per game has him just too shy of the school's single season record. Fans and coaches are buzzing about the talent in this group. Two candidates already went in the first round of NHL drafts, Boston College's James Hagen's to the Bruins at number seven last year, and Michigan. It's Charlie Strammel to the Wild at number 21 in 2023.

1:01Others, like Michigan's TJ Hughes, tied for third in points, highlight the depth. Meanwhile, standouts include Quinnipiac Freshman, Ethan Wittenbach, leading with 58 points, Dartmouth's Hayden Stavrov topping goals at, 28, and Denver defenseman Eric Paul Camp leading blue liners with 37 points. Golly Tray Augustine anchors the top ranked Michigan State squad. The three finalists come out April 3rd, with the winner named April 10th during the Frozen Four in Las Vegas. Last year's winner was Isaac Howard from Michigan State. Coaches from all 64 Division I teams, plus fan votes, picked these 10. The Daily News Now is presented by our sponsor, linked in the description. Do not just listen to podcasts, get lost in them comfortably, S-O-L-I, solelypillow.com