What time will hockey star Gavin McKenna make his official announcement, and what channel is it on?

Reigning CHL Player of the Year and projected 2026 No. 1 NHL Draft pick Gavin McKenna will officially announce where he will play next season tonight. Penn State is expected to earn the star’s commitment, according to multiple reports, when he joins ESPN’s ‘SportsCenter’ at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The segment will also stream on Watch ESPN.

Michigan State is one of the other finalists for McKenna, according to NHL.com and others. However, a report from EliteProspect.com’s Cam Robinson on Monday said that the decision had already been made and that it favored head coach Guy Gadowsky’s Nittany Lions.

McKenna is the third youngest player ever to win the CHL Player of the Year Trophy. Only NHL stars John Tavares and Sydney Crosby were younger. Playing last season for WHL team Medicine Hat, the Canadian tallied 129 points (41 goals, 88 assists) in 56 games and tacked on 38 more points, including nine goals, in the postseason. He also recorded a point in 54 consecutive games.

“McKenna is in a special category that you only come across every few years,” NHL Central Scouting vice president and director Dan Marr told NHL.com. “His offensive instincts and playmaking game are truly exceptional and it’s his composure, compete and maturity that really sell you on his talent.

“His game resembles the likes of Patrick Kane and Doug Gilmour, who both had slight builds and were able to utilize their talents to produce and use those same smarts and wits to protect themselves from hockey’s physical elements.”

The 2025-2026 season is the first time NCAA hockey will welcome CHL players into its ranks. That is thanks to a recent rule change. McKenna is expected to spend just one season in college before moving on to the pros.

Gavin McKenna announcement primer

When: 6 p.m. ET on July 8

Where: ESPN’s ‘SportsCenter’

Finalists: Penn State and Michigan State, per reports

Prediction: Per multiple reports, the Nittany Lions will be the pick

They said it: “His trajectory is generational because when you compare where he is at the same age to some of these other players to get to the NHL as 18-year-olds and have an impact, he’s on that same path.

“When you think of the key skills you have to have in the NHL … you have to be smart. You have to be able to skate. And you have to be able to compete. Those three important skills are maybe his three best skills. So, we’re not even talking about how great his hands are.”

–NHL Central Scouting associate director David Gregory on McKenna to NHL.com