Gavin McKenna is giving up No. 72 and his backup plan is hanging from the rafters

Gavin McKenna is going to head into 2026-27 with a new number after he's relinquishing it to Sergei Bobrovsky, with his backup plan already snuffed out.

McKenna being drafted first overall set the hockey world ablaze as the Maple Leafs were now the beneficiary of a generational talent who could transform the franchise for the next two decades. He's a bonafide superstar on the ice and a mature and humble player off it, and it'll only be a matter of time before we see what his NHL career holds.

He's one of the many new faces who are coming into the Maple Leafs lineup in 2026-27 and with the flurry of signings that John Chayka made on Wednesday, it's likely that we're only scratching the surface of what he's expected to do.

One of those moves that he made was signing Sergei Bobrovsky, and it's pretty big all things considered as it made the Maple Leafs goaltending situation pretty much set in stone with Bobrovsky leading the way and Anthony Stolarz backing him up.

McKenna's maturity on full display after relinquishing his jersey number

So what exactly does Bobrovsky's signing have to do with McKenna besides being his new goalie? Well, it's going to lead to McKenna giving up his iconic #72 for the sake of the veteran.

McKenna was asked on Thursday about whether or not he was going to keep his #72 when the season opens up, but brushed it off pretty quickly saying that he likely wouldn't and that Bobrovsky has first dibs given his resume:

Probably not, probably not. Bob, he has won two Stanley Cups. If he wants that number, he is going to get that number.

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But when asked about his backup plan, McKenna said that wasn't in the cards either. His first number choice was #27 which is retired in honour of Frank Mahovlich meanwhile his third choice of #9 is taken by both Charlie Conacher and Teeder Kennedy.

McKenna's backup plan hangs from the rafters but fans have a pretty ingenious solution

He wanted three numbers he can't have, but fans are thinking that perhaps McKenna can still include the #2 in his number, and that #12 would be quite appropriate given that it was that number ball that landed the Maple Leafs the chance for McKenna in the first place:

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Bobrovsky will be the third player in franchise history to rock the #72, meanwhile if McKenna were to take #12 he would be the first since Zach Aston-Reese but others who have include Patrick Marleau, Tom Fitzgerald, Mark Osborne, and Steve Thomas.

Other fans are wondering if #92 would be a solution and that would give McKenna the honour of being the fourth person and first since Alex Nylander last year, but the most well-known name is Jeff O'Neill.

No one has worn 68, 69, 86 or 87 for Toronto and while it may ruffle some feathers, it may be apropos to put McKenna in the #87 and make that number live on for the next two decades.

Though it doesn't matter if he wears 00 or 98, it's just awesome to see McKenna in a Maple Leafs jersey but apologies to the fans who already bought a #72 McKenna jersey because it may be short-lived.

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