Gavin McKenna Keeps No. 72 After Being Drafted First Overall by Toronto Maple Leafs
Fans who were already wearing a Gavin McKenna Toronto Maple Leafs jersey at the NHL draft in Buffalo on Friday won’t need to make any changes. McKenna, selected first overall by the Leafs on June 26, 2026, confirmed he will keep the number 72.
“I wasn’t planning on changing my number, I was planning McKenna said with a smile as he was formally introduced to the Leafs’ beat writers Saturday morning alongside general manager John Chayka and senior executive Mats Sundin at the Ford Performance Center.
McKenna will become the third player in franchise history to wear number 72, joining Travis Boyd and Mathieu Schneider.
Will There Be a Bobrovsky Conversation?
There could be an interesting conversation in the coming weeks as speculation continues that the Leafs are interested in signing goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who is heading to unrestricted free agency on July 1.
Bobrovsky wore number 72 throughout his NHL career, first in Columbus and then with the Florida Panthers. When he joined the Panthers in 2019, Bobrovsky gave teammate Frank Vatrano a Rolex watch and dinner to convince the forward to give up the number.
However, it may not come to that. McKenna may not have any concerns about the veteran goaltender approaching him about the number.
A Whirlwind 16 Hours
McKenna’s first time wearing the Leafs’ blue and white on the ice will come later this week when the club holds its development camp. After that, McKenna will return to Kelowna to continue his off-season training.
After being selected first overall on Friday night, the first 16 hours were a whirlwind for the young prospect, including approximately 60 congratulatory text messages.
Leafs captain Auston Matthews and John Tavares were among those who reached out to McKenna. Another message stood out: Patrick Kane. McKenna has drawn comparisons to the crafty future Hall of Famer, and both are represented by agent Pat Brisson.
“Patrick Kane, he’s my idol,” McKenna said. “I grew up watching him and watching him. I don’t know if it was all the YouTube highlights that made me want to play like him, but I always watched him, how creative he was and how smart he was. He had an effect on me, I guess.”
McKenna also said that Matthews texted him saying he was looking forward to playing together.
How Sundin Can Help McKenna
Matthews (2016) and Tavares (2009) were also first overall picks in the NHL. Sundin was drafted first overall by the Quebec Nordiques in 1989 and played the majority of his career — 981 games — with the Leafs. All three wore the captain’s “C” in Toronto.
Sundin, now serving as a senior executive advisor for the Leafs, offered guidance to the team’s newest star.
“The most important message or advice I can give Gavin is to stay true to yourself,” Sundin said. “If Toronto is different from other markets, it is the size of the fan base, the interest of the city and it being the hockey capital of the world. But it’s a hockey game. The way Gavin played as a kid and in college, who he is as a person, that’s the most important message. Stay true to that and he’ll have a great career. Those are the basics.”
“Gavin will be an incredible asset to the Leafs for a long time to come,” Sundin added.
McKenna expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work with Sundin. “When you have someone like that who can guide you and guide you through this situation, it means a lot. As a young man, you want to learn from people like that. I’m very lucky.”
