Potential News and Rumors: McKenna, Holbert, Klepov, etc. – Hockey Writer – NHL Admission Draft
As the NCAA and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) have played their first games in 2025-26 as the NHL and the American Hockey League (AHL) prepare to start the season around next week. This means ultimately talking about in the world of potential fields. Throughout the season, this column will focus on some of the best performances in the NCAA, CHL, AHL and overseas. In this release, we focus mainly on the 2026 draft, Gavin McKenna made her NCAA debut, JP Hurlbert’s early dominance in Kamloops and finally two potential clients trying to fill some big shoes in Saginaw.
Gavin McKenna runs with Penn State
McKenna made a highly anticipated debut with Penn State on Friday at Penn State and quickly showed everyone why he was the first favorite to be the first in June next year. The 17-year-old, one of the youngest players in the NCAA this season, scored his first two-point game (two assists) on Friday at 22:09 on ice time before exploding his first goal on Saturday. Penn State won 6-3 in two games against Arizona State on Friday and 4-2 on Saturday, while McKenna was in the lead in both wins.
McKenna ended two games with three-pointers and nine goals in two games, and his balance, skill and hockey IQ impressed both head coaches.
“He is another animal,” said Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky. “He saw the game in a very unique way and he was very fast. It was really fun.”
“He’s special, right?” said Arizona coach Greg Powers. “You can see it. It’s his first college game and if he hits a hockey in the ‘O’ area you’ll hold your breath. He’s special. He’s young. He’s getting better and better every game…”
Related: No. 5 Penn State No. 14 Arizona State wins 4-2
McKenna and the Medicine Hat Tigers have dominated the WHL, scoring 41 goals and 129 points in 56 games, and the NCAA’s additional challenges don’t seem to slow him down.
JP Hurlbert is Kamloops’ rising star
While McKenna will be a major attraction throughout the season ahead of the 2026 draft, there are other prospects that will make the Boy Scouts get up early. One of them, contrary to McKenna, decided to play in the WHL rather than joining the NCAA. Yes, he is committed to the University of Michigan in 2026-27, but at least this season, Holbert will live in Kamloops. So far, he has also done something like McKenna, with as much as nine goals and 14 points in five games.
Hurlbert started his WHL career against the Spokane Chiefs on September 20 and won a hat-trick. He then scored six more goals in the next four games, but has not been excluded from the scoring table this season. In fact, no team can stop him from scoring because he scored goals in all five games, including more than three. He had two quarter nights left, and only one game was split into single points.
The Trail Blazers started 3-2-0, with Hurlbert currently leading the goal and score, with Ryan Woodward of Victoria Royals in both categories leading the lead. So far, he has been ranked second by only two media outlets, 29th. Daily Confrontation and 30 times Hockey NewsRyan Kennedy, but if he continues to do the work, he should soon be in his 20s.
Nikita Klepov and Egor Barabanov became early leaders of Saginaw
The spirit of Saginau may have to be played throughout the season with two offensive leaders in 2024-25, Zayne Parekh (107 points) and Michael Misa (134 points). Although both of them can return at some point, they may also stay with the Calgary Flame and the San Jose Sharks respectively, giving them a big hole in the front and back ends. Good things to the spirit, Nikita Klepov and Egor Barabanov look like early candidates, at least filling the holes in the forward group.
Klepov, who is eligible for the 2026 draft, led by seven goals in six games, while Balabanov led by 12 goals. The seven goals also co-led the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with Jordan Charron of Soo Greeyhounds. Klepov ranked 35th in the CHL import draft, and Barabanov was both mentally new immigrants after signing from the USHL in the offseason.
Barabanov described Spirit general manager Dave Draindillas as a “player who makes quick, confident decisions when hockey is on his stick” and Barabanov spent his final three seasons at Ushl, Sioux Falls Stampede and Madison Capitols. Last season, he scored 14 goals and 38 points in 53 games after being acquired by the Capitol, which was trampled early this season.
As for Klepov, although his last name is Russian, he was born on Deerfield Beach, Florida and has dual nationality in the United States and Russia. He played some U15 and U16 hockey in Russia in 2022-23, but came to North America in 2023-24 to play AAA for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights. He then joined the Sioux City Musketeers last season, scoring 12 goals and 31 points in 59 games before joining the spirit of the season. Klepov also starred in the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, playing in Team USA, scoring 6 points in goals and five games, winning the gold medal for Sweden.
Klepov currently ranks only three media: 17th place in Elite Prospects and 18th place Hockey writer’s Peter Baracchini, 32nd Hockey News Ryan Kennedy. Here’s what Peter must say in his latest draft rankings: “He showed endless energy and skills, constantly pushing the pace of the game and keeping the defender on his heel. He can easily cut into the defender, move quickly and excel in tight spaces with his time and strong speed. No matter how he is, he always faces a dangerous opportunity.
All in all, the spirit of this season seems to have joined Barabanov and Klepov. We will see if they can make Spirit fans feel better about Misa and Parekh no longer joining the lineup as the campaign goes on.
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