Gavin McKenna will keep jersey No. 72 after being drafted first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs, receiving support from Mats Sundin and idol Patrick Kane.
McKenna to Keep No. 72
Gavin McKenna confirmed he will wear No. 72 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, becoming the third player in franchise history to don that number, following Travis Boyd and Mathieu Schneider. McKenna made the announcement during his formal introduction to Leafs beat writers on Saturday morning at the Ford Performance Centre, alongside general manager John Chayka and senior executive Mats Sundin.
“I wasn’t planning on changing my number, I was planning on keeping it,” McKenna said with a smile.
Whirlwind 16 Hours After Draft
McKenna was selected first overall by the Leafs on Friday night at the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, N.Y. In the first 16 hours after being drafted, he received approximately 60 congratulatory text messages, including from Leafs captain Auston Matthews and John Tavares. Another notable message came from Patrick Kane, whom McKenna cites as his idol.
“Patrick Kane, he’s my idol,” McKenna said. “He’s who I grew up watching. I don’t know if it was all the YouTube highlights that made me play like him, but he’s someone I always watched, how creative he was, and how smart he was. He rubbed off on me, I guess.”
McKenna also shared that Matthews texted saying “he’s looking forward to snapping it around with me.”
Support from Mats Sundin
Mats Sundin, the Leafs legend who was drafted first overall by the Quebec Nordiques in 1989 and played 981 games with Toronto, offered advice to McKenna. “The most important message or advice I can give to Gavin is to start true to himself,” Sundin said. “If anything that’s different in Toronto than other markets, it’s the size of the fan base, the interest from the city, and it’s the hockey capital of the world. But it’s a game of hockey. The way Gavin played as a kid, in college, who he is as a person, that’s the most important message. Stay true to that and he’s going to have a great career. That’s the basics of it. Gavin is going to be an unbelievable asset for the Leafs for a long time.”
McKenna expressed gratitude for Sundin’s guidance: “When you have someone like that who can lead you and guide you through this, it means a lot. As a young guy, you want to learn from people like that. I’m very lucky.”
Development Camp and Future Plans
McKenna will hit the ice with the Leafs for the first time later this week during the club’s development camp. After camp concludes, he will return to Kelowna to continue his off-season training.
Bobrovsky Number Situation
Speculation persists that the Leafs have interest in signing goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who is headed for unrestricted free agency on July 1. Bobrovsky has worn No. 72 in his NHL career with Columbus and Florida. When he joined the Panthers in 2019, he gave forward Frank Vatrano a Rolex watch and dinner for a year to obtain No. 72. However, McKenna may not have to worry about being approached by the veteran netminder.
McKenna’s draft selection was announced on stage by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman alongside pop star Justin Bieber, a longtime Leafs fan. The 2026 NHL Draft took place on June 26 in Buffalo, N.Y.
