Gavin McKenna Dropped the 'Forks Down' Celly in His FIRST Game and The Boos Are Still Echoing

Alright, hockey fans, buckle up because the hype around Gavin McKenna, the guy everyone's expecting to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NHL draft, is absolutely wild. We're talking about a kid who faced a hostile crowd in his very first college shift, got booed every time he touched the puck, and then answered with a game-winning snipe and an iconic celebration. This is the kind of fire we love to see, the kind of swagger that makes a player special.

Mullett Arena Was NOT Ready for That Kind of Debut

Picture this: October, Penn State Nittany Lions head to Arizona State, and a then 17-year-old Gavin McKenna is stepping onto college ice for the first time. The Sun Devils fans? Oh, they let him hear it. "They were giving it to me," McKenna said, describing the constant "boos and the 'overrated' chants" every time he touched the puck at Mullett Arena. His family flew in, his teammates and coaches were already bracing for a season of insane expectations, but this 6-foot, 170-pound winger? He was unfazed. He even admitted, "I usually have a good chuckle," adding that the noise "get[s] pretty motivated." You gotta love that mentality! The game was tied 2-2 with less than two minutes left, Penn State on a power play. McKenna collected a cross-ice pass in the right faceoff circle, threaded the needle, and ripped a one-timer through traffic for the game winner. What came next became instant legend: "I hit the 'forks down' celly," McKenna recalled, "That was pretty fun." That whole sequence, the relentless pressure and his electrifying response, totally defined his NHL draft year and obviously caught the eye of every team vying for the top spot in the 2026 NHL draft lottery. Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky summed it up perfectly when a player like McKenna commits to your program: "When you get a player like that, it's kind of like, 'holy cow,'". He's already getting compared to recent No. 1 picks like Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, which, honestly, says it all.

The Price of Perfection: $700,000 and a Fly Fishing Class

The scrutiny on McKenna has been next-level. His mom, Krystal McKenna, put it straight: "I can't even put into words the amount of pressure that was on him this year." She's not wrong. In today's NIL landscape, McKenna's commitment to Penn State was huge for college hockey. While no one's actually spilled the beans on the real number, a cool $700,000 was the figure widely thrown around by opposing fans' jeers, whether it was accurate or not. This kid's commitment wasn't just about the money, though; part of Penn State's recruiting pitch included a fly fishing class, which became one of his favorite courses last semester. It's a wild mix of high-stakes sports and college life, a truly unique path. As teammate Matt DiMarsico pointed out, it's "not really in this program's culture before to have those types of blue-chip prospects." And through it all, McKenna knows the deal: "I've almost got to be perfect at all times." So, what's next for the kid who loves fly fishing and delivering clutch goals? The 2026 NHL draft lottery is being determined tonight at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Every team with a shot at that No. 1 pick will be watching, knowing they could be getting a player who thrives under pressure, a player whose journey from "overrated" chants to "forks down" cellys is just getting started. This is gonna be good!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.