Who is Gavin McKenna's mom? Meet mother of top NHL Draft prospect, Penn State star

Gavin McKenna is only 18, but he has been a well-known name among hockey fans for a number of years as he positioned himself to become the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft.

After a season at Penn State that included a highly-publicized arrest, McKenna's dream is coming true.

The phenom was supported by a strong family on his way to the NHL, including his mom, Krystal, who found herself in legal trouble along with her son in the months leading up to the draft.

Here's more to know about McKenna's mother.

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Who is Gavin McKenna's mom?

McKenna's mom, Krystal McKenna, lives in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, with her husband, Willy. Both Krystal and Willy have been regular presences at Gavin's games as his profile has grown.

Here is Krystal, on the right, supporting Gavin and the Medicine Hat Tigers in 2025.

That support had some consequences, as Krystal was charged in State College with providing alcohol to minors after police reviewed in incident in which Gavin was arrested for allegedly punching another individual twice. While Krystal is only facing misdemeanor charges, the incident dragged the family even further into the spotlight.

As the NHL Draft approached, Krystal told ESPN that Gavin and the entire McKenna family felt the pressure of living up to high expectations in her son's lone season at Penn State.

"I can't even put into words the amount of pressure that was on him this year," she said. "Social media is such a double-edged sword." 

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What does Gavin McKenna's mom do?

While Krystal McKenna and the entire McKenna family became public figures leading up to the NHL Draft, it isn't clear what the phenom's mom does for a living. 

Gavin McKenna arrest

McKenna was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct after allegedly punching an individual in the face and breaking his jaw outside of a bar in late January. The felony aggravated assault charge was soon dropped, but McKenna is still facing misdemeanor charges.

Reports have indicated McKenna reacted after the victim insulted his mother, who was at the bar that night. 

"Generally speaking, I can say a verbal argument never is justification for physical violence against another human being, let alone physical violence that results in a fractured jaw and surgery," Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna told reporters when asked about the circumstances.

Months later, Krystal was charged with distributing alcohol to minors after she was twice seen ordering a drink and giving it to a minor. In one instance, the minor then poured the drink into another cup and gave it to another minor.

McKenna called the fallout of the incident some of "the craziest days of my life," while Krystal made the decision to bring her son home to Canada for a few days.

"We needed to hug each other and ground everybody," Krystal told ESPN. "It was so stressful for everyone. By the time he left, we all had a new sense like we could breathe a little bit."