The Toronto Maple Leafs will mark the 50th anniversary of Darryl Sittler‘s historic NHL-record 10-point game tonight, wearing a commemorative jersey patch when they face the Buffalo Sabres at Scotiabank Arena at 7 pm ET.
The patch features a blue silhouette of the Maple Leafs logo of Sittler’s era, updated with a slightly angled stem and outlined in white and silver. A large white “10” stretches across the centre with a silver bevel, while Sittler’s name is arched in blue lettering on a white banner. Above the number is the date “2-7-76” in white, with “POINTS” placed below.
Sittler’s 10-point night came on February 7, 1976, when he recorded six goals and four assists at Maple Leaf Gardens against the Boston Bruins, a single-game points record that still stands. The Maple Leafs said the tribute will also include a pre-game ceremony featuring Sittler and some of his teammates from that 1976 game, as well as other “visuals and in-game entertainment” that will “uniquely bring to life the 10-point game and 1970s nostalgia.”
“Darryl’s 10-point night is one of the most extraordinary individual performances in the history of our game,” said Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving in a statement. “Fifty years later, it still represents excellence, skill and the special place Darryl holds in this organization. We’re proud to celebrate this milestone with him and with Leafs Nation.”
“Fifty years ago, I would have never imagined the magnitude of this moment or how many people would have special memories and stories connected to this game,” Sittler said. “I was proud to break this record in a Maple Leafs uniform and continue to have this pride and gratitude today.”
The jersey patch is available for a limited time at the official Leafs shop online and in-arena. The team said a special edition collection is also available, including a commemorative pin, hockey puck, and t-shirt. Additional autographed Sittler memorabilia will be available inside the arena on game day.
Toronto is holding the 50th anniversary celebration tonight, on January 27, almost two weeks before the actual anniversary on February 7, because this is the last game that will be held in Toronto in over a month. The club heads out on a road trip following tonight’s contest before the NHL heads into its Winter Olympic break. The Maple Leafs’ next home game after tonight will be played on February 28.
Sittler spent twelve of his fifteen seasons with the Maple Leafs in a career in which he scored over 1000 points and nearly 500 goals. Sittler was captain of the Leafs from 1975 to 1981; his number 27 was retired by the club in 2016, he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989, and he was named as one of the NHL’s 100 greatest players of all-time during the league’s 2017 centennial celebrations.
