2025–26 Penn State Nittany Lions men's ice hockey season
| 2025–26 Penn State Nittany Lions men's ice hockey season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conference | Big Ten |
| Home ice | Pegula Ice Arena |
| Rankings | |
| USCHO | #6 |
| USA Hockey | #6 |
| Record | |
| Overall | 18–9–1 |
| Conference | 10–7–1 |
| Home | 9–4–0 |
| Road | 9–5–1 |
| Neutral | 0–0–0 |
| Coaches and captains | |
| Head coach | Guy Gadowsky |
| Assistant coaches | Juliano Pagliero Andrew Sturtz Vince Pedrie |
| Captain | Dane Dowiak |
| Alternate captain | Jarod Crespo |
| Penn State Nittany Lions men's ice hockey seasons « 2024–25 2026–27 » | |
The 2025–26 Penn State Nittany Lions men's ice hockey season is the 20th season of play for the program and 13th in the Big Ten Conference. The Nittany Lions represent Penn State University in the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, play their home games at Pegula Ice Arena and are coached by Guy Gadowsky in his 14th season.
Season
After the program reached the Frozen Four for the first time in its short history, the Nittany Lions got even better news when Gavin McKenna, the prospective #1 prospect for the 2026 NHL entry draft, announced his commitment to Penn State.[1] While PSU wasn't the first team to receive such a highly-touted prospect, they were the first to have one transfer from the Canadian Hockey League as this is the first season in over 50 years where the NCAA allowed former Canadian major-junior players to play varsity ice hockey.[2]
Departures
| Player | Position | Nationality | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Dowd Jr. | Defenseman | .png){kind=small} United States |
Graduation (signed with Adirondack Thunder) |
| Carson Dyck | Forward | .svg.png){kind=small} Canada |
Graduation (retired) |
| Danny Dzhaniyev | Forward | United States |
Graduation (retired) |
| Jason Gallucci | Defenseman | United States |
Transferred to Canisius |
| Noah Grannan | Goaltender | United States |
Left program (retired) |
| Dylan Lugris | Forward | United States |
Graduation (signed with Jokers de Cergy-Pontoise) |
| Simon Mack | Defenseman | Canada |
Graduation (signed with Calgary Wranglers) |
| Tyler Paquette | Forward | United States |
Graduation (signed with Wheeling Nailers) |
| Arsenii Sergeev | Goaltender |  Russia |
Signed professional contract (Calgary Flames) |
Recruiting
| Player | Position | Nationality | Age | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nolan Collins | Defenseman | Canada |
21 | Whitby, ON; selected 167th overall in 2022 |
| Josh Fleming | Goaltender | Canada |
20 | Montréal, QC |
| Mac Gadowsky | Defenseman | United States |
23 | Fairbanks, AK; transfer from Army |
| Lev Katzin | Forward | Canada |
18 | Thornhill, ON |
| Gavin McKenna | Forward | Canada |
17 | Whitehorse, YT |
| Luke Misa | Forward | Canada |
19 | Oakville, ON; selected 150 overall in 2024 |
| Kevin Reidler | Goaltender |  Sweden |
21 | Gävle, SWE; transfer from Omaha; selected 151st overall in 2022 |
| Jackson Smith | Defenseman | Canada |
18 | Calgary, AB; selected 14th overall in 2025 |
| Shea Van Olm | Forward | Canada |
21 | Calgary, AB |
Roster
As of August 16, 2025.[3]
| No. | Nat. | Player | Class | Pos | Height | Weight | DoB | Hometown | Previous team | NHL rights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 
|
Carter Schade | Senior | D | 5' 11" (1.8 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2003-03-07 | Mars, Pennsylvania | Lincoln Stars (USHL) | — |
| 3 |
|
Casey Aman | Junior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2003-01-15 | Johnstown, Pennsylvania | Powell River Kings (BCHL) | — |
| 4 |
|
Mac Gadowsky | Junior | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 2002-01-10 | Fairbanks, Alaska | Army (AHA) | — |
| 7 |
|
Jackson Smith | Freshman | D | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 198 lb (90 kg) | 2007-05-13 | Calgary, Alberta | Tri-City Americans (WHL) | CBJ, 14th overall 2025 |
| 8 |
|
Alex Servagno | Senior | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2002-06-16 | Gibsonia, Pennsylvania | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) | — |
| 9 |
|
Keaton Peters | Sophomore | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 187 lb (85 kg) | 2004-05-01 | Sussex, Wisconsin | Lincoln Stars (USHL) | — |
| 10 |
|
Nick Fascia | Sophomore | D | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 183 lb (83 kg) | 2005-04-28 | Blackwood, New Jersey | Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) | — |
| 11 |
|
Luke Misa | Freshman | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2005-11-25 | Oakville, Ontario | Brampton Steelheads (OHL) | CGY, 150th overall 2024 |
| 12 |
|
Ben Schoen | Senior (RS) | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 150 lb (68 kg) | 2002-05-18 | Maumee, Ohio | Tri-City Storm (USHL) | — |
| 14 |
|
Matt DiMarsico | Junior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2004-01-07 | Wexford, Pennsylvania | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) | — |
| 15 |
|
Charlie Cerrato | Sophomore | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2005-03-10 | Fallston, Maryland | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) | CAR, 49th overall 2025 |
| 18 |
|
Aiden Fink | Junior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | 2004-11-24 | Calgary, Alberta | Brooks Bandits (AJHL) | NSH, 218th overall 2023 |
| 19 |
|
Dane Dowiak (C) | Junior | F | 5' 10" (1.78 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | 2002-03-27 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Tri-City Storm (USHL) | — |
| 21 |
|
Braedon Ford | Sophomore | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 168 lb (76 kg) | 2004-01-19 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) | — |
| 24 |
|
Jarod Crespo (A) | Senior | D | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 2002-04-30 | Seven Lakes, North Carolina | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) | — |
| 27 |
|
Cade Christenson | Sophomore | D | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 183 lb (83 kg) | 2004-11-02 | Edmonton, Alberta | Sherwood Park Crusaders (BCHL) | — |
| 29 |
|
Reese Laubach | Junior | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | 2003-11-20 | San Jose, California | Omaha Lancers (USHL) | SJS, 217th overall 2022 |
| 30 |
|
John Seifarth | Senior | G | 6' 3" (1.91 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | 2003-11-13 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Avonworth High School (USHS–PA) | — |
| 33 |
|
Lev Katzin | Freshman | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 176 lb (80 kg) | 2007-05-13 | Thornhill, Ontario | Guelph Storm (OHL) | — |
| 34 |
|
Josh Fleming | Freshman | G | 6' 2" (1.88 m) | 172 lb (78 kg) | 2004-11-10 | Montréal, Quebec | Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL) | — |
| 35 |
|
Kevin Reidler | Sophomore | G | 6' 6" (1.98 m) | 203 lb (92 kg) | 2004-09-02 | Gävle, Sweden | Omaha (NCHC) | OTT, 151st overall 2022 |
| 71 |
|
Nic Chin-DeGraves | Sophomore | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 172 lb (78 kg) | 2003-05-19 | Edmonton, Alberta | Brooks Bandits (BCHL) | — |
| 72 |
|
Gavin McKenna | Freshman | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | 2007-12-20 | Whitehorse, Yukon | Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) | — |
| 77 |
|
Nolan Collins | Freshman | D | 6' 4" (1.93 m) | 216 lb (98 kg) | 2004-04-28 | Whitby, Ontario | Flint Firebirds (OHL) | PIT, 167th overall 2022 |
| 86 |
|
J. J. Wiebusch | Sophomore | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 172 lb (78 kg) | 2004-02-20 | River Falls, Wisconsin | Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) | — |
| 91 |
|
Andrew Kuzma | Freshman (RS) | F | 6' 0" (1.83 m) | 194 lb (88 kg) | 2005-01-29 | New York, New York | Madison Capitols (USHL) | — |
| 93 |
|
Shea Van Olm | Freshman | F | 6' 1" (1.85 m) | 198 lb (90 kg) | 2004-03-05 | Calgary, Alberta | Spokane Chiefs (WHL) | — |
Standings
| Conference record | Overall record | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | OTW | OTL | 3/SW | PTS | GF | GA | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | |||
| #2 Michigan | 20 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 43 | 86 | 55 | 30 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 141 | 71 | ||
| #1 Michigan State | 18 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 62 | 38 | 28 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 103 | 55 | ||
| #6 Penn State | 17 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 59 | 55 | 28 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 100 | 80 | ||
| #13 Wisconsin | 19 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 76 | 72 | 29 | 18 | 9 | 2 | 110 | 89 | ||
| Minnesota | 19 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 49 | 60 | 30 | 10 | 18 | 2 | 83 | 100 | ||
| Ohio State | 17 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 52 | 69 | 27 | 10 | 16 | 1 | 80 | 93 | ||
| Notre Dame | 17 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 42 | 77 | 29 | 5 | 20 | 4 | 79 | 118 | ||
| Championship: March 21, 2026 † indicates conference regular season champion * indicates conference tournament champion Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll; updated February 14, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||
Schedule and results
| Date | Time | Opponent# | Rank# | Site | TV | Decision | Result | Attendance | Record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | |||||||||||
| October 3 | 9:00 pm | at #14 Arizona State* | #5 | Mullett Arena • Tempe, Arizona | NHL Network | Reidler | W 6–3 | 5,270 | 1–0–0 | ||
| October 4 | 7:00 pm | at #14 Arizona State* | #5 | Mullett Arena • Tempe, Arizona | NHL Network | Reidler | W 4–2 | 5,247 | 2–0–0 | ||
| October 9 | 6:30 pm | Clarkson* | #4 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN | Reidler | L 4–6 | 6,249 | 2–1–0 | ||
| October 10 | 7:00 pm | Clarkson* | #4 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN+ | Fleming | W 5–2 | 6,441 | 3–1–0 | ||
| October 17 | 7:30 pm | Long Island* | #6 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN+ | Reidler | W 5–4 OT | 6,449 | 4–1–0 | ||
| October 18 | 6:00 pm | Long Island* | #6 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN+ | Fleming | W 3–0 | 6,428 | 5–1–0 | ||
| October 24 | 7:00 pm | Stonehill* | #5 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN+ | Fleming | W 3–2 | 6,206 | 6–1–0 | ||
| October 25 | 6:00 pm | Stonehill* | #5 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN+ | Reidler | W 4–2 | 6,370 | 7–1–0 | ||
| October 30 | 6:30 pm | at #17 Ohio State | #4 | Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio | BTN | Reidler | W 3–2 | 3,709 | 8–1–0 (1–0–0) | ||
| October 31 | 6:30 pm | at #17 Ohio State | #4 | Value City Arena • Columbus, Ohio | BTN+ | Fleming | W 4–3 | 4,986 | 9–1–0 (2–0–0) | ||
| November 7 | 7:00 pm | at #1 Michigan State | #3 | Munn Ice Arena • East Lansing, Michigan | BTN+ | Reidler | L 1–2 OT | 6,555 | 9–2–0 (2–1–0) | ||
| November 8 | 4:00 pm | at #1 Michigan State | #3 | Munn Ice Arena • East Lansing, Michigan | BTN+ | Fleming | L 0–5 | 6,555 | 9–3–0 (2–2–0) | ||
| November 14 | 7:00 pm | #2 Michigan | #5 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN+ | Reidler | L 1–7 | 6,549 | 9–4–0 (2–3–0) | ||
| November 15 | 6:00 pm | #2 Michigan | #5 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN+ | Fleming | W 4–2 | 6,584 | 10–4–0 (3–3–0) | ||
| November 21 | 8:00 pm | at Minnesota | #5 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | FS1, TSN2 | Fleming | L 2–3 | 9,094 | 10–5–0 (3–4–0) | ||
| November 22 | 8:00 pm | at Minnesota | #5 | 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, Minnesota | BTN+, Fox9+ | Reidler | W 2–1 | 9,336 | 11–5–0 (4–4–0) | ||
| January 2 | 7:05 pm | at RIT* | #8 | Gene Polisseni Center • Henrietta, New York | FloHockey | Fleming | L 0–1 | 4,233 | 11–6–0 | ||
| January 4 | 5:00 pm | RIT* | #8 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN+ | Reidler | W 7–3 | 6,269 | 12–6–0 | ||
| January 9 | 7:00 pm | Minnesota | #9 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN | Fleming | W 3–0 | 6,192 | 13–6–0 (5–4–0) | ||
| January 10 | 7:00 pm | Minnesota | #9 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN | Reidler | W 5–2 | 6,334 | 14–6–0 (6–4–0) | ||
| January 16 | 7:00 pm | Notre Dame | #8 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN+ | Fleming | W 4–1 | 6,455 | 15–6–0 (7–4–0) | ||
| January 17 | 8:00 pm | Notre Dame | #8 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN | Reidler | W 6–3 | 6,449 | 16–6–0 (8–4–0) | ||
| January 23 | 7:00 pm | at #5 Wisconsin | #8 | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | BTN+ | Fleming | W 7–2 | 10,187 | 17–6–0 (9–4–0) | ||
| January 24 | 8:30 pm | at #5 Wisconsin | #8 | Kohl Center • Madison, Wisconsin | BTN | Reidler | W 3–1 | 13,355 | 18–6–0 (10–4–0) | ||
| January 30 | 6:00 pm | #2 Michigan State | #5 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN+ | Fleming | L 3–6 | 6,591 | 18–7–0 (10–5–0) | ||
| January 31 | 1:00 pm | #2 Michigan State | #5 | Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN | Reidler | L 4–5 OT | 74,575 | 18–8–0 (10–6–0) | ||
| February 13 | 6:30 pm | at #2 Michigan | #6 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, Michigan | BTN+ | Fleming | T 4–4 SOL | 5,800 | 18–8–1 (10–6–1) | ||
| February 14 | 5:00 pm | at #2 Michigan | #6 | Yost Ice Arena • Ann Arbor, Michigan | BTN | Reidler | L 3–6 | 5,800 | 18–9–1 (10–7–1) | ||
| February 20 | 8:30 pm | Ohio State | #6 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN | ||||||
| February 21 | 8:00 pm | Ohio State | #6 | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN | ||||||
| February 27 | 7:05 pm | at Notre Dame | Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, Indiana | Peacock | |||||||
| February 28 | TBA | at Notre Dame | Compton Family Ice Arena • Notre Dame, Indiana | Peacock | |||||||
| March 5 | TBA | Wisconsin | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN+ | |||||||
| March 6 | TBA | Wisconsin | Pegula Ice Arena • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN+ | |||||||
| *Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Eastern Time. Source:[4] | |||||||||||
Rankings
| Poll | Week | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 (Final) | |
| USCHO.com | 5 (3) | 4 (4) | 6 (1) | 5 | 4 (2) | 3 (3) | 5 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | – | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |||||||
| USA Hockey | 5 (1) | 4 (2) | 6 | 5 (1) | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | – | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | |||||||
Note: USCHO did not release a poll in week 12.[5]
Note: USA Hockey did not release a poll in week 12.
References
- ^ "Why Gavin McKenna's Penn State commitment is a game changer". ESPN. July 17, 2025. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
- ^ "CHL players to be eligible to play NCAA hockey beginning in 2025-26". NHL. November 7, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
- ^ "2025–26 Men's Ice Hockey Roster". Penn State Nittany Lions. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ "2025-26 Men's Ice Hockey Schedule". Penn State Nittany Lions. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
- ^ "USCHO Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.