Sergei Bobrovsky is catching heat again today, and this time the Maple Leafs goalie's jersey number is at the centre of it.
Gavin McKenna didn't get No. 72. Bobrovsky kept it, and a lot of fans think the veteran should have handed it to the first overall pick.
The usual code says rookies defer to veterans on numbers. Plenty of voices argued today that the rule doesn't really fit this situation.
One post put it plainly: "Something about Bob feels selfish. I also think he should have given McKenna the #."
That lands right on top of the rookie lap. The goalie skated out before McKenna could take his solo lap on debut night, and the criticism hasn't cooled since.
So is this a number story or a culture story? After the rookie lap, a lot of people in Toronto have decided it's both.
Maple Leafs culture under the microscope after a rough opening week
Here's what makes it sting. Bobrovsky is new to the Leafs too, arriving after seven seasons with the Panthers.
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He isn't a longtime Leaf guarding a number with history in that room. So the unwritten rule feels awfully thin here.
He should have given it up. A 38-year-old goalie on a new team handing his number to the franchise's prized rookie would have cost nothing and bought a ton of goodwill.
It's like the new hire grabbing the corner office on day one, then telling the company's prized recruit to wait his turn.
The ice hasn't helped his case either. Bobrovsky made 21 saves on 24 shots in the 3-2 opening loss to Montreal.
McKenna, meanwhile, is still waiting on his first NHL point after a -2 debut. He has enough pressure without a subplot about his sweater.
Jim Hiller's group hosts the Islanders tonight. The fastest way for the goalie to quiet this is a big night in the crease.
And if the Leafs drop another one? The questions about this room won't stay focused on a jersey for long.
Should Sergei Bobrovsky have given No. 72 to Gavin McKenna?
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