The story of Gavin McKenna receiving Jeff O’Neill’s blessing to wear No. 92 in Toronto spread quickly—but according to O’Neill, the call never happened.
Jeff O’Neill has officially come clean about the viral story involving Gavin McKenna and his decision to wear No. 92 with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Appearing on the July 30 edition of OverDrive with Bryan Hayes and Jonas Siegel, O’Neill addressed the social-media post in which he claimed McKenna had called him seeking permission to wear his former Leafs number. TSN promoted the 23-minute segment specifically as O’Neill revealing “the truth” behind the viral post.
O’Neill did not leave much room for interpretation.
“Gavin McKenna did not, nor would he ever call me to get my input on wearing number 92.”
O’Neill followed the admission with a self-deprecating explanation, pointing out that he only spent two seasons with the Maple Leafs and was never in a position where a highly touted first-overall pick would need his approval before selecting a jersey number.
In other words, the entire FaceTime story was an O-Dog bit that took on a life of its own.
The Original Post Fooled More Than a Few People
The confusion began on July 4 when O’Neill posted that he had received a FaceTime call from McKenna after dinner.
According to the post, McKenna supposedly asked whether O’Neill was comfortable with him wearing No. 92. O’Neill claimed he responded:
“It’s the only way to go, son. LFG.”
The post was delivered without an obvious disclaimer, causing several hockey websites and social-media accounts to report the interaction as a legitimate conversation between McKenna and O’Neill.
The story appeared believable because No. 92 was worn by O’Neill during his final two NHL seasons with Toronto. However, O’Neill was only one of several Leafs to wear it. Igor Ozhiganov and Alexander Nylander also used No. 92 before McKenna.
O’Neill’s joke even expanded into another social-media post suggesting McKenna had given him a Rolex connected to Sergei Bobrovsky. That post was later deleted, but not before creating another round of confusion over which parts of the story were real.
The answer, as O’Neill has now clarified, is that McKenna never called him for permission.
Why McKenna Actually Chose No. 92
McKenna’s decision had nothing to do with receiving O’Neill’s blessing.
The first-overall selection had worn No. 72 throughout much of his junior and college career, including with the Medicine Hat Tigers and Penn State. After Toronto signed Sergei Bobrovsky, McKenna decided not to challenge the veteran goaltender for the number Bobrovsky has worn throughout his NHL career.
McKenna’s other preferred options were No. 9 and No. 27, but both numbers have been retired by the Maple Leafs.
No. 9 hangs in the rafters in honour of Charlie Conacher and Ted Kennedy, while No. 27 was retired for Frank Mahovlich and Darryl Sittler. That left McKenna looking for a number that maintained a connection to the ones he originally wanted.
When announcing his decision, McKenna explained that he wanted “a little bit of both” incorporated into the new number.
The result was No. 92—a combination that allowed McKenna to retain the No. 9 while also keeping part of the look and identity associated with his familiar No. 72.
A Classic O-Dog Joke That Became a Real Story
O’Neill’s admission is funny, but it also shows how quickly an obvious joke can be transformed into hockey news.
Some fans immediately recognized the post as O’Neill poking fun at his own brief Leafs tenure. Others believed McKenna had genuinely contacted him as a respectful gesture toward a former Toronto player.
Once news outlets began reporting the supposed call as fact, the story became much larger than O’Neill likely expected.
The important part remains unchanged: McKenna will wear No. 92 for the Maple Leafs.
He just never needed—or requested—the O-Dog’s permission to do it.
