VOL.2: CHL Players finding their comfort zone as NCAA Hockey continues

As the NCAA hockey quickly approaches its winter break in December, conference play for most teams is in full swing. Though the second half of the season awaits in the new year, it's a great point for progress on how Canadian Hockey League players have adjusted to the collegiate game. 

The biggest name on this list is none other than freshman forward Gavin McKenna who currently plays for Penn State. 

His recruitment cycle has some junior hockey fans paying attention to the collegiate league for the first time. Last season he played for Medicine Hat Tigers notching 129 points in 56 games with the majority of his goals earning their own highlight reels. As the media speculated him to be the No. 1 draft pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the world watched waiting to see where he would spend his freshman year of college. While there were reports of him going to Michigan and his final decision came down to the Nittany Lions or Michigan State. 

But before a year ago, this was unheard of. Young elite hockey players were forced to make the choice between NCAA and CHL. And now with the opportunity to play both in their junior careers, these players are hot commodities for collegiate coaches. 

However, even as fans are tuning into collegiate hockey to watch CHL talent such as McKenna, results have varied for the young talent. McKenna’s progress at Penn State is one that is heavily monitored. People were expecting immediate results and similar production as his time with the Tigers. Currently he sits at 15 points in 14 games pushing a point-per-game average for the Nittany Lions, but to some, this is falling short of such high expectations set for McKenna. 

While this may be true, it's hard to predict how these CHL players were going to adjust and still are adjusting to this league. The standards of the CHL season involves multiple games a week and a different level of intensity compared to the NCAA. There also is the simple difference of age where it's normal for college players to be anywhere from 22 or 23 years old where the CHL primarily focuses on juniors. 

The NCAA allows more time for practice during the week with just weekend games. This is actually a driving force for CHL players to go to college, because of the bonus of working on physique and more focused skill building compared to the consistent games in the juniors. 

Though McKenna is still adapting to college play, others have made the jump a little more seamless. 

Freshman forward Porter Martone who is sitting at 14 points as well for the Spartans has found a bit more success in the offensive front. With seven goals, he’s leading the No. 1 team in the country while racking in multiple points in a weekend with ease. 

It’s still early in the season for college hockey, especially with the playoffs being in the far future in March. However, every weekend matters especially in the Big Ten where almost every team ranks in the top-20 on a weekly basis. For players like Martone and McKenna, they were sought out extensively, fans and teams alike are relying on them to carry the weight of their team. 

But for all of the NCAA, the level of play is growing each weekend as the CHL talent is getting their moments to shine. By bringing in more elite players to an already intense league, it creates a more competitive environment for these NHL prospects to thrive in. And to top if off, it sure makes it a fun time to watch.