With the dilemma of Gavin McKenna and Sergei Bobrovsky both preferring to wear the No. 72 on their jersey, the Toronto Maple Leafs' 2026 first overall pick says the two-time Stanley Cup champion can have it.
In a truckload of moves by Toronto Maple Leafs GM John Chayka on Wednesday, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was among the top names that the team acquired.
However, with Bobrovsky coming in and Gavin McKenna selected first overall by Toronto in the 2026 NHL draft, those two players join the roster with the same preferred jersey number, No. 72.
After the first day of the Maple Leafs' development camp, McKenna was asked about this dilemma and admitted he might need to change course in terms of the number he wears on his back.
When he was asked if he expects to wear No. 72 next season, he said, "probably not." The 18-year-old pointed out that Bobrovsky's stature and all his accomplishments, including a pair of Stanley Cups and two Vezina Trophies, mean that "if he wants that number, he can take that number."
Bobrovsky also leads all active NHL goaltenders in wins with 456 in the regular season. That also puts him seventh all-time, with just four more wins required to surpass Henrik Lundqvist. In other words, Bobrovsky's resume is good enough for him to keep whatever number he wishes.
With that, McKenna will need to think about taking a new number. Unfortunately, his backup numbers are also unavailable.
"I don't know, my two other ones are taken," McKenna said. "They're up in the rafters."
The two other numbers he was referring to were No. 27, which is retired by Darryl Sittler and Frank Mahovlich, and No. 9 - which McKenna wore at the 2026 World Junior Championship - is retired by Ted Kennedy and Charlie Conacher.
Therefore, McKenna will still need to decide on what number he'll wear, even if he has worn No. 72 with Penn State in the NCAA this past season and with the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers, with his final year there coming in 2024-25. He also wore No. 72 on Day 1 of the Leafs' development camp.
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