The idea of playing for his dad at Penn State wasn’t something defenseman Mac Gadowsky had ever seriously considered. It was a nice thought, but never part of the plan. That changed after a record-setting season at Army.
The junior, who grew up watching Nittany Lion hockey from the stands at Pegula Ice Arena, transferred to Penn State this offseason after finishing as a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, college hockey’s most prestigious honor. He led all defensemen with 42 points and 16 goals last season, best in Golden Knights program history.
The move brings Gadowsky back to his hometown and under the direction of his father, Guy, who’s entering his 14th season as head coach at Penn State.
“It’s definitely really exciting to have him behind the bench,” Mac said. “He’s a great coach, so I couldn’t be more happy about the experience so far.”
The circumstances around his transfer were unusual, even awkward at times. According to Guy, the offer didn’t come from him, but from his assistant coaches, who made it clear how important adding Mac could be.
“They were like, ‘Hey, look, we’re either playing with him or against him,’” Guy said. “So I guess there was a bit of awkwardness with the assistants coming in, pounding their fists and saying, ‘This is real. We’ve got to do this for the program.’”
By the time the transfer portal opened, interest in Mac was immediate. He said he let his team at West Point know ahead of time that he planned to explore his options, but didn’t expect Penn State to be one of them — at least not until he got a text from associate head coach Juliano Pagliero.
“That kind of started the questions for myself, if this would be the place for me, if I did get that text,” Mac said. “I was pretty all in about this program.”
Mac said he didn’t take a visit. After growing up intertwined with the program, he didn’t need one. Though he received interest from other major programs in the few hours since his portal entrance, he hopped on a Zoom call with some of the Penn State staffers later that day and committed.
Growing up in State College, Mac knew Penn State hockey before it was a Division I program. He watched from the stands as the club team transitioned into a Big Ten contender. He knew the locker room. He’d been to football games at Beaver Stadium. He’d seen the program grow and had followed along, even after heading to Army.
“I’ve been watching them growing up, and always looked at the players here as role models, and couldn’t be more happy to be part of the culture and team,” Mac said.
That early connection made the transition easier. So did the locker room.
“I love the group here,” Mac said. “We have great groups, so hanging out with them as much as I can.”
As Guy pointed out with a grin, Mac hasn’t been back home for Sunday dinner yet. Mac agreed that he “need[s] to do that.”
Penn State’s staff didn’t add Mac out of family sentiment. They added him because of what he brings to the ice. He was one of the top offensive defensemen in the country last season and fits a style that’s long defined the program under Guy Gadowsky, fast and aggressive.
“A lot of my game is creativity and offense,” Mac said. “So I think being able to play my style of play, which is kind of the Penn State way, just growing up watching it, I’m pretty excited for that.”
Playing for his father may be the headline, but both Mac and Guy have made it clear — this move was about fit, not legacy.
“It was a lot more me deciding to do that myself,” Mac said. “He really didn’t want to influence me at all, which I’m grateful for.”
While Guy hasn’t coached Mac since he was a kid, he said the team’s core values are still rooted in what he was taught growing up. He said Guy always displayed a competitive fire and positive attitude, which are also part of the team values.
That competitiveness shows up off the ice, too, especially at the ping pong table, where Mac says he currently holds the edge over his dad, though the rules seem to change when he wins.
“We always try to get on the ping pong table, always challenging each other for the number one spot so far. I mean, I’ve come out more times on top than not.”
