Darryl Sittler Hits The Century Mark

April 3rd, 1976. Darryl Sittler became the first 100 point scorer in Toronto Maple Leafs' history, when he picked up an assist in a 4-2 loss to the Bruins, in Toronto.

Canadian hero. A poor kid in small town Ontario who became one of the greatest hockey players of all time through hard work and perseverance.

Sittler, perhaps the most popular Leaf in modern times, was drafted by Toronto 8th overall in the 1970 Entry Draft. For Sittler it was the culmination of a great junior career with the London Knights. And while he was slow out of the blocks in his firs two seasons with the Leafs, he exploded with a 29 goal, 77 point 1972-73 campaign and never looked back.

By the beginning of the 1975-76 season, the hard working center was given the great honor of being named captain, replacing the incomparable Dave Keon who jumped to the World Hockey Association. The honor was one that Sittler greatly cherished, and he responded to the challenge. He took his game to the next level, notching 41 goals and 59 assists to become the first Maple Leafs player in history to crack the 100 point mark in one season!

No one game better symbolizes his great 19 75-76 season than the night of February 7, 1976. That was the night that he scored 6 goals and set up 4 others to set the unthinkable record of 10 points in a single game. None of the games greats - including Gretzky, Lemieux, Orr, Howe - came close to touching this record!

Here's the full Darryl Sittler biography.

Darryl Sittler, Johnny Bower Join Teeder Kennedy on Leafs' Legends' Row

The Toronto Maple Leafs fantastic new statue series honouring legends from the team's glorious past now includes Darryl Sittler and Johnny Bower. The statue series opened with Teeder Kennedy being the first honouree.

The statues will honour "10 or 11" Leafs greats from the past. Sittler, Bower and Kennedy are obvious inclusions. Other serious candidates include  King Clancy, Charlie Conacher, Syl Apps, Turk Broda, Frank Mahovlich, Tim Horton, Dave Keon, Borje Salming, Mats Sundin, Doug Gilmour and maybe Wendel Clark.

It remains to be seen if the statues will be limited to strictly players. The team really should take this opportunity to also honour franchise founder Conn Smythe

Photo: Darryl Sittler vs Bobby Clarke

Photo: Darryl Sittler vs Ken Dryden

Dave Reece

Poor Dave Reece!

After starring with the unlikely hockey program at the University of Vermont, the goalie came out of nowhere to sign with the Boston Bruins in 1972. After three years battling snipers in the minor leagues, Reece was called upon by Boston in the 1975-76 season.

The Bruins were without ace starter Gerry Cheevers (who fled to the WHA) and Gilles Gilbert (due to a mid season injury). Boston called up Reece, who double majored in political science and education, was called upon early in 1976 to tend the Bruins net. Reece did a good job too. He went 7-4-2 in 13 games and had the team on a 7 game winning streak when it was announced that Cheevers was returning to the Bruins from the WHA.

The signing of Cheevers was great for the Bruins of course and Gilles Gilbert would ultimately return to be his backup. The Bruins however did not want to dress Cheevers in his first game back, fearing that he wasn't ready to play on that particular night, February 7, 1976. The Bruins instead gave the starting assignment to Reece as a reward for his good play with the Bruins that year. The game, played in Toronto on a Saturday night which meant it was shown nation wide in Canada and parts of the US on Hockey Night In Canada, was a bittersweet moment for Reece, as he was informed prior to the game that the Bruins would be demoting him to the minors quickly afterwards in order to make roster room for Cheevers.

Bittersweet was as good as Reece would feel on that night. It soon became an agonizing night for the young goalie as he would become both famous and infamous at the mercy of the Leafs amazing center Darryl Sittler. Sittler had the single greatest one-game performance in National Hockey League history - at Reece's expense. Sittler scored 6 goals and 4 assists for a mind-boggling 10 points in an 11-4 Maple Leaf victory! Sittler owned Reece on that record breaking night. 10 points in one game! Gretzky, Lemieux, Yzerman - no one - had or has ever equaled or bettered that!

Sittler had a great joke about Reece afterwards that helped add to Reece's infamy.

"(Reece) was so distraught after that game he tried to commit suicide by stepping in front of the train. Fortunately it went through his legs."

Reece of course was sent to the minors a couple of days later. The demotion wasn't because of his performance against the Leafs - as mentioned earlier it was planned ahead of time. However legend has always had it that Reece was demoted because of that. Reece never returned to the NHL, and his infamous role in Sittler's incredible feat probably had something to do with that. Everywhere Reece went he must have been pestered with questions about that night.

He finished the year in the minors and played one more year before hanging his goalie pads up and focusing on his career in education and consulting. It's too bad that he is remembered exclusively as the goalie who was in net for Sittler's 10 point game, as he had a good little stint in the NHL minus that last game. He also twice represented Team USA in international events - as a spare goalie at the 1972 Olympics and playing in 5 games at the 1977 World Championships

Darryl Sittler And Norm Ullman: Leafs Love Weetabix

This Date In Stanley Cup History

April 22, 1945 • At 12:14 of the third period, Maple Leafs defenseman Walter “Babe” Pratt scored the Cup-winning goal to give Toronto a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings in Game Seven of the Final. Leafs rookie goaltender Frank McCool, who allowed only nine goals in seven starts, limited the Wings to one goal or less for the fifth time in the series.

April 22, 1962 • Toronto’s Bob Nevin and Dick Duff notched third-period goals to defeat the Chicago
Black Hawks 2-1 in Game Six of the 1962 Final. The win propelled the Maple Leafs to their first of three straight Stanley Cup championships.

April 22, 1976 • Toronto center Darryl Sittler equalled Maurice “Rocket” Richard’s 32-year-old record for most goals in one playoff game by scoring five goals in the Maple Leafs’ 8-5 Quarter-final series win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Philadelphia’s Reggie Leach joined Richard and Sittler just days later, as Leach scored five of his playoff-record 19 goals on May 6, 1976, in a 6-3 win over the Boston Bruins.

April 22, 1988 • Patrik Sundstrom set an NHL record by recording eight points (3-5-8) in New Jersey’s 10-4 win over Washington in Game Three of the Patrick Division Final.

Henderson, Sittler in Israel

From the Jerusalem Post:

It isn't often that former ice hockey stars visit Israel, but next week legendary Team Canada left winger Paul Henderson and NHL Hall of Famer Darryl Sittler will join some 90 players in the country as part of the fourth annual Israel Recreational Hockey Association (IRHA) Tournament.

The event, to be held at the Canada Center in Metulla from January 26-28, will see four teams from the US and Canada battling out for the trophy.

Full Story

Weekend Reading: Darryl Sittler

Darryl Sittler is the classic example of the Canadian hero. A poor kid in small town Ontario who became one of the greatest hockey players of all time through hard work and perseverance.

Sittler, perhaps the most popular Leaf in modern times, was drafted by Toronto 8th overall in the 1970 Entry Draft. For Sittler it was the culmination of a great junior career with the London Knights. And while he was slow out of the blocks in his firs two seasons with the Leafs, he exploded with a 29 goal, 77 point 1972-73 campaign and never looked back.

Full Darryl Sittler biography.

Darryl Sittler's Big Night

February 7th, 1976. Darryl Sittler has the single greatest game in National Hockey League history.

Sittler's Toronto Maple Leafs blasted Don Cherry's Boston Bruins 11-4 on this night. Sittler has a record smashing 10 points, including 6 goals thanks to consecutive hat tricks in the second and third periods.

Sittler's 10 points surpassed the old record of 8 points, held by two former Montreal Canadiens: Rocket Richard in 1944 and Bert Olmstead in 1954.

No player has come close to touching the record since. Several have hit the 8 mark, including Tom Bladon, Bryan Trottier, Peter and Anton Stastny (in the same game!) Paul Coffey, Bernie Nicholls, Wayne Gretzky twice and Mario Lemieux twice.

The superstitious Sittler credited his luck to his Swiss Chalet pregame meal, though he was never able to duplicate another big night thanks to their chicken and fries.

Here's the game summary, courtesy the Hockey Summary Project:

First Period
1 TOR : Lanny McDonald (Darryl Sittler) 6:19
1 TOR : Ian Turnbull (Darryl Sittler, Errol Thompson) 7:01
1 BOS : Jean Ratelle (Bobby Schmautz) 16:54

Second Period
2 TOR : Darryl Sittler (Borje Salming, Lanny McDonald) 2:56
2 TOR : Borje Salming (Darryl Sittler) 3:33
2 BOS : Bobby Schmautz (Johnny Bucyk, Jean Ratelle) 5:19
2 TOR : Darryl Sittler (unassisted) 10:27
2 TOR : Darryl Sittler (Jack Valiquette, Norm Ferguson) 10:27
2 BOS : Johnny Bucyk (Jean Ratelle, Bobby Schmautz) 11:06
2 TOR : Norm Ferguson (Inge Hammarstrom, Scott Garland) 11:40
2 TOR : Borje Salming (Lanny McDonald, Darryl Sittler) 13:57
2 BOS : Jean Ratelle (Bobby Schmautz, Doug Gibson) 14:35

Third Period
3 TOR : Darryl Sittler (Borje Salming, Errol Thompson) 0:44
3 TOR : Darryl Sittler (Errol Thompson) 9:27
3 TOR : Darryl Sittler (Lanny McDonald) 16:35

Here's some video footage courtesy of YouTube:

Mats Sundin chases Darryl Sittler

This weekend Mats Sundin will likely make history and become the all time leading goal scorer of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sundin is within one goal of Darryl Sittler's record of 389 goals with the storied team.

For younger fans, I wanted to take this time share the story of the classic Maple Leaf player. Darryl Sittler is the classic example of the Canadian hero. A poor kid in small town Ontario who became one of the greatest hockey players of all time through hard work and perseverance.

Sittler, perhaps the most popular Leaf in modern times, was drafted by Toronto 8th overall in the 1970 Entry Draft.

By the beginning of the 1975-76 season, the hard working center was given the great honor of being named captain, replacing the incomparable Dave Keon who jumped to the World Hockey Association. The honor was one that Sittler greatly cherished, and he responded to the challenge. He took his game to the next level, notching 41 goals and 59 assists to become the first Maple Leafs player in history to crack the 100 point mark in one season!

No one game better symbolizes his great 1975-76 season than the night of February 7, 1976. That was the night that he scored 6 goals and set up 4 others to set the unthinkable record of 10 points in a single game. None of the games greats - including Gretzky, Lemieux, Orr, Howe - came close to touching this record!

Read the full Darryl Sittler biography at Maple Leafs Legends.


Of course no biography of Sittler is complete without looking at poor Dave Reece, the Bruins goalie who surrendered Sittler's 10 point night. Who can forget the great joke that has helped immortalize him in hockey lore:

"(Reece) was so distraught after that game he tried to commit suicide by stepping in front of the train. Fortunately it went through his legs."

Read Reece's bio and other former Bruins at Boston Bruins Legends.