Darryl Sittler

Lore & Background

Sittler grew up in St. Jacobs, Ontario, and played minor hockey in nearby Elmira. He was drafted out of the Junior C Elmira Sugar Kings by the London Nationals, soon renamed the London Knights, and played under coaches Turk Broda and Bep Guidolin. Sittler was selected eighth overall by the Maple Leafs in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft. He was named team captain on September 10, 1975. In his first season as captain, he finished with 41 goals and 59 assists, being the first Leaf ever to reach 100 points. On February 7, 1976, he set an NHL record for most points in one game (10 points: 6 goals, 4 assists) against the Boston Bruins. In 1977–78, his 117 points ranked third in scoring and earned him a Second Team All-Star selection. His relationship with Leafs owner Harold Ballard deteriorated, leading to a trade to the Philadelphia Flyers on January 20, 1982. He later played for the Detroit Red Wings before retiring. After retirement, he rejoined the Maple Leafs organization as a consultant. His number 27 was honoured by the Leafs in 2003 and officially retired in 2016.

In Their Own Story

The arena is loud, the kind of white-noise roar that makes you feel the ice vibrate through the soles of your skates. It's the third period, the score is tied, and the clock reads 4:12. Sittler picks up the puck at the left circle, shoulders squared, eyes already scanning. He doesn't look at his man. He doesn't need to. A one-tap pass to the slot—no, not a pass, a *gift*—and the puck is already moving before the defender's stick even touches the ice. The next frame, Sittler's stick is buried, his body coiled, and the puck is a white blur arcing low and true past the goalie's glove. The net ripples. The crowd detonates. He doesn't celebrate. He just skates back to his own blue line, breathes, and waits for the faceoff. That was the Sittler way: the most beautiful thing on the ice, delivered with the calm of a man checking his watch.

Reader's Guide

Sittler is a legendary Maple Leafs captain known for his record 10-point game in 1976. He was a consistent scorer, earning a Second Team All-Star nod in 1977–78. His career was marked by conflict with management, but he remains one of the greatest NHL players, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.

Did You Know?

• Sittler set an NHL record on February 7, 1976, scoring 10 points (6 goals, 4 assists) against the Boston Bruins.
• He is the most recent NHL player to score six goals in one game.
• Sittler was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in 2017.
• His number 27 was retired by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016.