The Toronto Maple Leafs’ highly anticipated number one draft pick, Gavin McKenna, has already hit the ice with his new franchise, generating massive excitement during the team’s recent development camp. However, the rookie sensation is facing an unexpected early hurdle before his official NHL debut: he has to change his jersey number. Throughout his standout junior career with the Western Hockey League’s Medicine Hat Tigers and his dominant collegiate stint at Penn State, McKenna proudly wore No. 72. He even donned the familiar digits during this week’s camp, prompting thousands of eager Toronto fans to rush out and buy custom No. 72 jerseys anticipating he would carry the brand into the future.
The abrupt wardrobe malfunction is the result of Toronto’s blockbuster offseason moves. On July 1, the Maple Leafs signed veteran goaltender and two-time Stanley Cup champion Sergei Bobrovsky, who has worn No. 72 for nearly his entire illustrious career. Hockey culture typically dictates that monumental draft picks get their choice of numbers, but out of respect for a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, the rookie made the classy decision to defer to the veteran. Consequently, McKenna will officially pivot to wearing No. 92 when the regular season gets underway this fall.
Finding a new number proved to be a historic math puzzle for McKenna due to Toronto’s incredibly rich history of retired jerseys. His initial instinct of adding his old digits together (7+2) to wear No. 9 was immediately shot down, as the legendary number is retired in honor of franchise icons Charlie Conacher and Ted Kennedy. Simply flipping the digits to No. 27 was also out of the question, as that honor belongs to Hall of Famers Frank Mahovlich and Darryl Sittler. With his standard fallback options hanging permanently in the Scotiabank Arena rafters, McKenna ultimately landed on No. 92.
Showing maturity beyond his years, the rookie star refused to just claim the new number without paying his respects to Toronto history. Before finalizing the switch, McKenna personally reached out to former Maple Leafs forward Jeff O’Neill—one of only three players in franchise history to have previously worn No. 92—to ask for his blessing. O’Neill, now a prominent hockey media personality, was incredibly receptive to the gesture and enthusiastically gave the young star his full approval to carry on the No. 92 legacy in Toronto.
With his jersey drama now settled, McKenna can fully focus on the monumental task of reviving a struggling franchise. The Maple Leafs are desperate for a spark after a disastrous 2025-26 campaign that saw the team bottom out and finish dead last in the Atlantic Division. Securing the first overall pick gave Toronto the crown jewel of the draft, and the organization is banking on McKenna’s elite vision, speed, and scoring ability to immediately translate to the NHL level.
As the hockey world prepares for the upcoming season, all eyes will be on how the rookie handles the immense pressure of playing in one of the sport’s most passionate markets. While fans who jumped the gun on ordering No. 72 jerseys might be left with rare collector’s items, the goodwill McKenna has generated with his selfless number swap has already won over his teammates and the legendary alumni. Now sporting No. 92, the savior of Toronto hockey is officially ready to make his mark and lead the Maple Leafs back into postseason contention.
