While Wayne Gretzky owns the all-time points record, there is one NHL mark he could never touch: Darryl Sittler’s single-game points record of 10.
In February 1976, Sittler’s Toronto squad hosted Boston at Maple Leaf Gardens. The Bruins were riding high on a seven-game winning streak and 20 points above the Leafs in the standings.
With starting goalie Gilles Gilbert out with a knee injury, Bruins backup Dave Reece took the net for the game, with Gerry Cheevers, who had previously played seven seasons for the Bruins before leaving for the Cleveland Crusaders of the WHA in 1972, suiting up as the backup.
Sittler, the Leafs captain, started the game with assists on two goals in the first period. Then in the second, he scored his first hat-trick of the night along with two more assists, finishing up the second period with seven points.
Less than a minute into the third period, Sittler scored his fourth goal of the game — matching Maurice Richard’s record for most points recorded in a single game with eight (others, including Gretzky, would since match that mark).
He went on to score another two goals in Toronto's 11-4 rout, finishing the game with six goals and four assists — a total of 10 points and arguably the greatest game of hockey ever played.
One of the goals is famously remembered for going in from behind the net.
As the Boston Globe reported at the time, “It must have been like sitting on the bottom of a hill and watching a snowball gather momentum and size as it comes at you. Complete helplessness.”
The jersey from that game is believed to have been gifted by Leafs owner Harold Ballard to a private collector following the game, eventually ending up in the collection of a sports memorabilia dealer. It later arrived at MeiGray, which was able to find photo-matches confirming the authenticity of the jersey using images found at the Hall of Fame, among other sources.
Bidding for the jersey has already surpassed $60,000 at Grey Flannel in its first time at public auction.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible content.