While the world is zeroed in on what may happen with Penn State’s football program and who its next coach may be, the Nittany Lion hockey program is having themselves one heck of a season.

They’re currently on a seven game winning streak and are tied for the best record in the Big Ten with typical powerhouse Wisconsin.

A lot of it can be attributed to Gavin McKenna, the highly sought after recruit who had one of the best seasons in Western Hockey League history, but there’s one player that has taken a significant leap this season.

Meet sophomore center, Charlie Cerrato.

PSU hockey fans may already know him, since he’s tied for the team lead in scoring with J.J. Wiebusch, but to the casual fan, they probably associate Penn State with McKenna.

And rightfully so. He is, after all, the consensus number-one overall draft pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Cerrato has been on a tear to start his collegiate career. In his freshman season at Happy Valley, he notched over a point per game, registering 15 goals, 27 assists and 42 points in 38 games.

He parlayed that impressive season into getting drafted in the second round by the Carolina Hurricanes.

On Monday, Steven Ellis of DailyFaceoff named him as one of the NCAA’s hottest prospects today, playing at a 60-point pace, with 18 points currently.

Cerrato, who’s 20-years-old, was draft eligible for two seasons already, but teams had passed on him both times. This time, the Hurricanes, who are notorious for finding diamonds in the rough, nabbed him in the second round after a quality freshman season.

So what changed about Cerrato, and why is he all of a sudden playing like one of the best prospects in hockey?

In short, he did the work.

News flash kids, if you want to be great at something, you can’t just rely on pure talent.

In Elite Prospects’ 2025 Draft Guide, they labeled him as a “pacey winger who needed to add details” to his game two seasons ago.

But after doing the work, he’s now “a high-scoring, detailed center with an edge to his game.”

In this game, a lot of what makes a player successful is not just the skill that they have, but the effort they put in. Of course, that can be said for every sport, but for hockey, it just means more.

Cerrato is the type of player who will get on your nerves. Skate around you while you have the puck and nag you until you’re ready to cough it up.

Most of his points have come through energy plays, transition, nifty passes, and being in the right spot. Perhaps what will help catapult him into a top-six center is if he develops a shot.

Carolina has always been an upside focused team, and trust its developmental team to help create top-notch players

Just look at what the Canes have done with Jackson Blake and Jaccob Slavin.