FIVE MINUTE MAJOR CHL Offseason News and Notes

It’s a new week in the major junior hockey offseason and with that comes the regular offseason chatter and news.

On Monday it was announced, per Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects, that the 2026 number one projected NHL draft pick Gavin McKenna is expected to commit to Penn State. An announcement from the school was expected on Tuesday. He ultimately chose Penn State over Michigan State.

The WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers claimed the WHL Championship title over the Spokane Chiefs this past season on the back of a historic season from McKenna. He tallied 41 goals and 88 assists for 129 points in 56 regular season contests. Then in the playoffs he tallied nine goals and 29 assists for 38 points in 16 games. The Tigers ultimately fell in the Memorial Cup Final to the OHL champion London Knights.

With his performances over the course of this past season, McKenna received the CHL’s David Branch Player of the Year honors. At just 17 years, 5 months, and 24 days old, Gavin McKenna becomes the third-youngest recipient of the award.

It was also reported McKenna will be raking in $700k in his Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal with Penn State.

Had the CHL and NCAA not agreed to a deal to allow CHL players to attend NCAA institutions, McKenna may likely have stayed with the Tigers to run it back next season.

Meanwhile, 2027 NHL Draft prospect Landon DuPont of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips became the second-youngest player to win the CHL Rookie of the Year Award, claiming the honor at just 16 years and 16 days old. This past season, the 16-year-old defenseman DuPont tallied 17 goals and 43 assists for 60 points in 64 regular season contests. In the postseason he scored five goals and tallied 10 assists for 15 points in 10 games. Any word on if he remains in the WHL until he goes pro is yet to be determined as he was only a rookie. But with McKenna’s departure for Penn State, it shouldn’t be out of the question for DuPont.

The agreement between the CHL and NCAA has obviously provided CHL players with the ability to attend more collegiate institutions in addition to USports in Canada. But the drawback is players are now leaving the major junior ranks earlier. This in turn forces CHL teams to prepare for this new possibility and how they will build their team going forward.

Some notable news ahead of next season will see Calgary and Lethbridge, Alberta host the 2025 CHL USA Top Prospects Challenge. The games will take place at Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday, November 25 and Wednesday, November 26, at Lethbridge’s VisitLethbridge.com Arena. It will be the second year the event is being held after it started last year in London and Oshawa, Ontario.

The one consistency in the offseason is that teams are continuing to sign new players for future seasons.

There’s been no news on the expansion front recently, but if anything arises it’ll be covered here.