OTD 47 years ago, a Leaf made NHL history and it's a record that still stands to this day
One of the greatest Leafs of all time, and arguably the greatest, Darryl Sittler hasn't played professional hockey since 1985. However, he's held the record for the most points achieved in a single game by one player for 47 years. It happened on this day in 1976.
To imagine someone hitting a 10-point game nowadays is a crazy thought. The closest anyone's ever gotten to that is 8 points. The most recent anyone has even gotten close to matching Sittler's record was Sam Gagner during an Edmonton vs. Chicago game in 2012, where he collected 8 points. During Wayne Gretzky's tenure in the NHL, he hit the 8-point mark during a game twice but never surpassed it over his legendary career.
In the tweet above, they ask if someone will ever break this record, and personally, I don't think anyone will - just for the goaltender factor alone. If players like Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews were playing against goalies in the 70s, they'd probably have a chance at hitting that 10-point mark, but that is simply not the case. Goalies are elite players with much more advanced equipment than they once had, making the attempts to break Sittler's record nearly impossible.
Perhaps it will happen one day, but I would be amazed if it did.
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 7 | 261 ANSWERS OTD 47 years ago, a Leaf made NHL history and it's a record that still stands to this day Do you think anyone will break Sittler's record for most points in a single game? | ||
| Yes | 46 | 17.6 % |
| Never | 103 | 39.5 % |
| Not anytime soon, but maybe one day | 112 | 42.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
