Gavin McKenna asks former Maple Leaf for permission to wear his number.

He may not have played a single game yet for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but first overall pick in the 2026 National Hockey League Entry Draft Gavin McKenna is already showing he knows how to win over that team's fan base.

On Saturday, former Toronto Maple Leafs forward and now beloved Toronto sports broadcaster Jeff O'Neill took to social media to reveal that he had a rather amusing interaction with the new Maple Leafs star forward just the night before. According to O'Neill, who is now affectionately referred to as O-dog by most of his fans, he received a FaceTime call from McKenna on Friday night with McKenna reaching out to O'Neill in order to ask permission to wear the same number that O'Neill himself once wore for the Maple Leafs.

O'Neill of course wore #92 during his playing days with the Maple Leafs but isn't viewed by most as the kind of player you would have to ask permission from on a matter like this one. O'Neill played just two seasons for his hometown Maple Leafs after spending most of his career with the Hartford Whalers and subsequently the Carolina Hurricanes when the Whalers were relocated, and didn't exactly light the world on fire in what were his final two seasons in the NHL.

Despite that it is clear that McKenna is aware of how much respect O'Neill's name carries in the Maple Leafs community and it was a great show of respect on his part to reach out to O'Neill in such a fashion. As you might expect, O'Neill was thrilled at the prospect of the young star wearing the same number he once did.

"It’s the only way to go son. LFG," said O'Neill in response to the request.