Following the run to the 2025 Frozen Four, Penn State hockey had as ideal an offseason as the fanbase could have hoped for. Guy Gadowsky supplemented his already loaded forward group with a bevy of NHL draft picks and prospects, most notably No. 1 prospect Gavin McKenna, who committed to Penn State on July 8. The Nittany Lions also return 84% of their forward goal scoring from last season, giving the roster the perfect blend of continuity and youth.
Projected Lines
First Line
Gavin McKenna-Reese Laubach-Aiden Fink
Danny Dzhaniyev
(12 goals in 2024-25) has graduated, but the addition of Gavin McKenna makes this line one of the most skilled in the country. Aiden Fink returns fresh off his 23-goal, 53-point 2024-25 campaign as one of the top contenders for the Hobey Baker Award. Reese Laubach has centered Fink since the pair arrived in State College in 2023 and tied for 4th on the team in goals last season (15).
While the top line was white hot for most of last season, it scored just one goal at 5-on-5 in the final eight games. The top competition the Nittany Lions faced in the postseason found ways to neutralize Fink and made the line rely more on an undersized Dzhaniyev. McKenna’s elite skill and speed gives this line another dimension that will frustrate teams’ gameplans all season.
Second Line
Matt DiMarsico-Charlie Cerrato-JJ Wiebusch
It took some time for this group to build chemistry, but the second line’s dominant performance was the story of the postseason for Penn State. DiMarsico, Cerrato, and Wiebusch combined for 17 goals in the last 8 games of the season, including the goal that lifted the Lions to the program’s first ever Frozen Four.
The second line was scoring at an unsustainably high rate toward the end of the season, but it is still a perfect complement to the top line. Until this trio shows signs they are no longer meshing, there is no reason to break them up.
Third Line
Shea Van Olm-Luke Misa-Lev Katzin
A line with three new players will likely need time to find its footing, but the talent level is immense. Van Olm and Misa have elite offensive skill and speed that will drive play on the third line. Lev Katzin is slightly undersized, but his offensive ceiling is still very high. Katzin brings defensive responsibility that the team needs from the bottom six. After Andrew Kuzma’s sudden departure from the team, Katzin should fill that role.
Fourth Line
Dane Dowiak-Keaton Peters-Ben Schoen
Dane Dowiak tied for the team lead in shorthanded goals (2) and scored 12 goals last season while playing on the fourth line. Keaton Peters had a quiet freshman season offensively but won 55% of his faceoffs, a critical asset for a fourth-line center. Ben Schoen is back for one more season after scoring a career-high 7 goals in 2024-25. If Peters can develop as a fourth-line center, there is a higher scoring potential here than teams usually expect from the bottom six. A strong fourth line will be key for Penn State to rest the top lines and create matchup advantages.
Bench/Rotational Players
Nic DeGraves, Braedon Ford, Alex Servagno
Nic DeGraves scored Penn State’s only goal in the Frozen Four loss to Boston University and had a solid freshman season in a bottom six role, but with the heavy infusion of elite talent this year, he may be pushed out of the lineup. If there is an injury, he will be ready to step up.
Alex Servagno played in 17 games last season, and Braedon Ford played in 14. Barring several injuries in the forward lineup, neither of them are likely to see much ice time in 2025-26.
