Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs’ Gavin McKenna Shows Respect to Bobrovsky, But There’s a Slight Problem

Gavin McKenna wants to respect Sergei Bobrovsky, but there’s a bit of an issue when it comes to a “very important” decision.

by
NHL Trade Talk
July 2, 2026

Gavin McKenna is already showing what kind of teammate he’s going to be. Despite the cache he brings with him to the Toronto Maple Leafs as the No. 1 overall pick this season, he’s not the kind of player who forgets hockey tradition. When asked about what number he’s going to wear this season, he made sure to let people know that the veteran with the Hall of Fame career gets dibs.

The Maple Leafs signed goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky on Wednesday. It’s a three-year deal that will see him be the starter in Toronto as the Maple Leafs revamped their goaltending situation. Beyond the news that Bobrovsky signed, there’s also the small matter of his jersey number. Bobrovsky wears No. 72, which is the number McKenna was going to take this coming season.

McKenna was asked about whether he expects to keep the number 72 after the Leafs signed Sergei Bobrovsky: “Probably not… he’s a two-time Stanley Cup Champion if he wants it, he can have it,” the rookie said. He added that he faces a tough choice as his next two preferences, 9 and 27, are retired by Toronto.

What’s also intriguing about this “dilemma” is what happens if several jerseys are already sold. You can imagine that fans flooded the stores looking for McKenna gear. If they were printed with the No. 72, that poses a bit of a problem.

A user on X.com posted, “They’ve already sold thousands of his jerseys. Bob has to change.” However, one fan responded, “They haven’t officially sold any 72 McKenna jerseys. I know because I have one and called everywhere but no one official would sell it.”

So, it’s not entirely clear if McKenna jerseys with that number have been sold or not. What could happen is they offer free number changes on McKenna jerseys, assuming Bobrovsky keeps the number and McKenna changes it. Will Bobrovsky happily give up the number knowing what McKenna means to the Maple Leafs long term? It seems like the right thing to do.

Next: Former Coach Pegs Oilers as Best Fit for Red Wings Star