Ten facts about Leafs' Darryl Sittler’s 10‑point night

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There was more to the NHL record than you might have realized as the 50th anniversary celebration is marked Tuesday evening.

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Published Jan 26, 2026 • Last updated 19 hours ago • 4 minute read

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Former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Darryl Sittler, right, shares a joke with former Boston Bruins goaltender Dave Reece in 2016. Photo by Chris Young /THE CANADIAN PRESSArticle content

When searching news events from Feb. 7, 1976, look for Darryl Sittler’s 10-point night — six goals, four assists — high on the list.

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But, even if thinking you know everything possible about that game by now, here are 10 more points ahead of Tuesday night’s 50th anniversary celebration at Scotiabank Arena.

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1. Before faceoff against the Boston Bruins, Leafs owner Harold Ballard had stung Sittler with comments about his ‘slump’ of five goals and 10 assists in 17 games, omitting his captain was hampered by a sore shoulder.

“We’d set off a time bomb if we had a sensational centre,” Ballard snorted to a reporter.

But coach Red Kelly had decided to try Sittler between Lanny McDonald and Errol Thompson, and Ballard had to eat crow.

“Darryl’s not afraid to tell the big man to go to hell,” a teammate chortled after the game.

2. Ballard introduced a recorded bugle charge that night at the Gardens, quite bold at a time when live organ music was all that fans and players heard. There were no videoboards or in-house stunts.

The bugle tape was garbled on the first couple of tries, but was on repeat as the building went bonkers after Sittler’s 10th point.

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3. Bruins goalie Dave Reece was grateful coach Don Cherry didn’t pull him as Sittler piled up the points in an eventual 11-4 Toronto win.

“I’m old-school.,” Reece told the Boston Globe. “When it’s your turn to eat the banana, you eat it.”

Reece revealed to the Toronto Sun years later that he had been out late the night before with veteran Johnny Bucyk, having been told he was going back to the minors after the Toronto game.

“I was feeling sorry for myself. I’m not saying I got blotto or anything, but I didn’t maintain my (usual pre-game regimen).”

Gerry Cheevers was being saved

4. Gerry Cheevers, the Cup-winning Bruins’ netminder, was the backup that night. Cheevers had just signed a deal to return to Boston from the WHA’s Cleveland Crusaders and Cherry was saving him for a triumphant homecoming.

“I did look down the bench at him once,” Cherry said as Sittler’s carnage increased. “But he put a towel over his head and pretended to hide.”

5. There is no preserved broadcast of the entire Hockey Night In Canada game surviving from that Saturday.

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Sittler had been gifted a rare one by CBC and converted it to VHS, but before DVD transfers came along, he lost it — quite possibly forgetting it was in a VCR that he threw out during a house move. Clips of all the goals and assists did survive, however.

6. Attending that night was 20-something future “voice of the Leafs” Joe Bowen. He was in a six-man party crew from CKSO radio in Sudbury who had been gifted Leafs tickets by the boss for hard work.

But the boys were fairly inebriated by game time. Bowen’s buddy Barry Johnson ran out of things to throw on the ice after Sittler’s first hat trick, managing to separate the cushion from a gold rinkside seat he tried to heave over the glass.

“He almost did it, but they tossed him out and he missed the 10th point,” Bowen said with a laugh. “I told Darryl in later years, ‘I heard you had a hell of game because I don’t remember it.’”

Sittler had 10 shots on net

7. Sittler was a plus-seven at the end of the night, credited with 10 shots on net. One goal was on the power play, another on a delayed Boston penalty where he came over the boards for goalie Wayne Thomas. His 10th point was a pass from behind the net that hit B’s defenceman Brad Park’s skate.

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While teammate Borje Salming had six points, six Leafs somehow ended up minus-three in the game. The next night in Minnesota, Sittler had one assist and hit one post.

“It’s funny,” he said. “I think our line had more really good scoring chances against Minnesota (than Boston).”

George Ferguson from Inge Hammarstrom and Scott Garland was the only goal not to involve Sittler.

8. Sittler was a partner in a 1998 children’s book about the event, titled My Leaf Sweater, by Toronto author Mike Leonetti. Michael, a young fan, searches for a Sittler jersey and ends up at the Gardens for the big game.

9. Seventeen-year-old Hot Stove Club busboy Joseph Blasioli charmed the usherettes into letting him run back and forth from his post to watch the game between the benches. Blasioli, later a director-producer of documentaries and TV shows, saved a copy of public relations director Stan Obodiac’s media notes from the evening.

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Blasioli wrote in his diary 50 years ago: “Witnessed probably the best game ever by a Leaf player. I won a five-dollar bet with Gary the doorman. If I’d lost, I’d have to give up a stick I stashed from last night’s Toronto Toros game.”

10. In case you haven’t been reading the Sun, the stick Sittler used and the No. 27 sweater he wore, both disappeared almost immediately.

The sweater was purchased for $200,000 last year at auction by Sittler’s friends Mark Shapiro and Joey Arfin.

He’ll put it on again in public for the first time Tuesday and several teammates will be at the pre-game ceremony against Buffalo.

lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby

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Ten facts about Leafs’ Darryl Sittler’s 10‑point night

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