Matthews joined Sittler among Maple Leafs legends by passing Sundin
One of Sittler’s signature accomplishments took place almost a half-century ago: an NHL-record 10 points (six goals, four assists) in Toronto’s 11-4 win against the Boston Bruins at Maple Leaf Gardens on Feb. 7, 1976.
“What started as an ordinary game wound up with Sittler breaking the record of eight points in a single game previously set by Maurice Richard on (Dec. 28, 1944) and later tied by Bert Olmstead (Jan. 9, 1954),” wrote historian Mike Commito in “Hockey 365: Daily Stories from the Ice.”
In “The Game I’ll Never Forget: 100 Hockey Stars’ Stories,” Sittler told reporter George Vass, “Almost every time I touched the puck it resulted in a goal.”
The similarity between Matthews and Sittler includes the fact that each skated side by side with a skilled right wing, Sittler with Lanny McDonald and Matthews with Mitch Marner.
McDonald was traded to the Colorado Rockies on Dec. 29, 1979. Marner was sent to the Vegas Golden Knights on July 1, 2025, and then signed an eight-year, $96 million contract.
“Both watched their linemates get traded,” Toronto-based historian and archivist Paul Patskou said. “Sittler took it hard and his relationship with management deteriorated. We are still seeing how Matthews will adapt to losing Marner, his 100-point winger, to Vegas.”
An obvious difference is in their backgrounds. Sittler was born in Kitchener, Ontario, a legendary hockey hotbed where innumerable future NHL players honed their games to sharpness. By contrast, Matthews is the first NHL superstar to emerge from sunbaked Scottsdale, Arizona.
Another difference relates to their rookie seasons. Matthews scored four goals in his first NHL game against the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 12, 2016. Sittler completed his injury-riddled rookie season (1970-71) with a mere 10 goals and Matthews with 40, but as Sittler matured, he established himself as one of the Maple Leafs’ most reliable forwards.
In Game 2 of the best-of-3 final against Czechoslovakia in the inaugural 1976 Canada Cup, Sittler scored in overtime by deking goalie Vladimir Dzurilla — drawing him far out of the crease — and then scoring into the empty net for a 5-4 win at the Montreal Forum. Though neither Sittler nor Matthews have won the Stanley Cup, Sittler entered the Hall of Fame with the Class of 1989. He’s also remembered for his 117 points in 1977-78, a Maple Leafs record broken by Doug Gilmour (127) in 1992-93.
Sittler emerged as one of the most popular captains in Maple Leafs annals and a superb performer in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (74 points; 29 goals, 45 assists in 76 games). Matthews took over the captaincy from John Tavares on Aug. 14, 2024. He has 59 points (26 goals, 33 assists) in 68 postseason games but has yet to play beyond the Eastern Conference Second Round. The 52-win Maple Leafs lost the 2025 second round in seven games to the Florida Panthers that ended with a 6-1 loss on home ice.
“It’s hard to say because everything is so different,” Hall of Fame forward Johnny Bucyk said. “They’re both very good. Of course I’ll never forget the game Sittler had against us, 10 points in one game!
“Matthews is so big and strong (6-foot-3, 215). He likes to set up in front of the net. You see so much of that now, the big guys like to camp out in front of the net and block the goaltenders. He also has that quick release while Sittler had the big slapshot.”
But Matthews, at age 28, is at his career crest and will represent Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortino 2026. He could subsequently help engineer Toronto’s first Stanley Cup title since 1967.
“It could happen,” Patskou said, “if he adapted Sittler’s style and showed the same leadership role.”
The good news is that both time and talent are on Matthews’ side.
