Darryl Sittler’s First Game Against the Maple Leafs: A Bittersweet End to a Blue & White Legacy

On April 4, 1982, at the Philadelphia Spectrum, NHL fans witnessed a bittersweet and historic moment: Darryl Sittler, once the heart and soul of the Toronto Maple Leafs, suited up for the Philadelphia Flyers to face his former team for the very first time.

Just months earlier, the Leafs had traded Sittler, one of their greatest players and longtime captain, to the Flyers for Rich Costello and a second-round pick in the 1982 NHL Draft, which became Peter Ihnacak. The trade felt like a slap in the face to fans and to Sittler himself, a player who had poured a decade of heart, hustle, and historic moments into the blue and white.

That night, the Flyers steamrolled the Leafs 7-1 in a game that underscored just how far Toronto had fallen. Sittler contributed modestly with a single assist on the opening goal by Ken Linseman, and fired five shots on goal. While Sittler played a steady game, it was Tim Kerr who stole the show for Philadelphia with a hat trick, his 19th, 20th, and 21st goals of the season. Flyers legend Bobby Clarke also notched three assists.

The Leafs mustered only 18 shots on Flyers goaltender Pete Peeters. Michel Larocque, on the other hand, faced a barrage of 59 shots in the Toronto net. The lone bright spot for the Maple Leafs was Rick Vaive, who scored his 54th goal of the season, a franchise record that stood for four decades until Auston Matthews finally broke it.

About Darryl Sittler

Darryl Sittler played 1,096 regular season and 76 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1970-71 and 1984-85 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings. He was an eighth overall pick by Toronto at the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft out of the London Knights.

In 12 seasons, Sittler scored at least 27 goals. He topped the 40 goal plateau five times, putting up a career best 45 in 1977-78. That year he had 117 points, placing him third in the NHL behind Guy Lafleur and Bryan Trottier. Darryl was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989.

NHL Hockey Card Legends: Darryl Sittler

Bobby Hull’s First 4-Goal NHL Game Came at the Expense of Johnny Bower and the Toronto Maple Leafs

On February 21, 1960, Bobby Hull delivered one of the most memorable offensive performances of his career at Chicago Stadium, scoring four goals in a 7-5 Chicago Black Hawks win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. This milestone marked Hull’s first of four career four-goal games in the NHL. He never surpassed that number in a single match, despite recording an impressive 30 career hat tricks.

The game opened with Hull striking early. At 8:07 of the first period, he buried his 30th goal of the season, assisted by Murray Balfour and Dollard St. Laurent. Early in the second, he scored again, this time with help from Pierre Pilote and Bill Hay, making it 2-0 for Chicago.

Even after Toronto’s Frank Mahovlich cut the lead in half, Hull completed his hat trick just over four minutes into the second frame, assisted by Elmer “Moose” Vasko and Pilote. Before the period ended, Hull added an assist on Balfour’s goal to stretch the lead to 5-2.

Then came the dagger: just 59 seconds into the third period, Hull scored his fourth goal of the night, making it 6-2. This goal would stand as the game-winner, his 33rd of the season. Bill Hay added another before Toronto mounted a furious but ultimately futile comeback with goals from Gerry James, Johnny Wilson, and Tim Horton.

A Golden Season for the “Golden Jet”

By the end of the 1959-60 season, Hull tallied 39 goals and 42 assists for 81 points, narrowly edging Boston’s Bronco Horvath for the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s top scorer. Despite the scoring crown, Hull fell short of MVP honors, finishing second in Hart Trophy voting behind Detroit’s Gordie Howe.

It was a breakout campaign for the 21-year-old Hull, and his first 4-goal game against a future Hall of Famer like Johnny Bower remains a signature performance in his legendary career.

Bill Masterton Makes History in North Stars Debut Game

On October 11, 1967, history was written on multiple fronts in the National Hockey League. The expansion-era Minnesota North Stars played their very first NHL game on the road against the also-new St. Louis Blues. This historic matchup marked the NHL debut for both teams and one unforgettable goal-scorer.

That man was Bill Masterton, who would sadly play only 38 NHL games before a tragic on-ice injury took his life on January 13, 1968. But on this night, Masterton made a lasting mark in the league’s record books.

With just under five minutes remaining in the second period, and his team on the power play, Masterton scored the first goal in Minnesota North Stars history, an unassisted tally at the 15:20 mark. It was one of four shots he would take on St. Louis netminder Seth Martin, who, like Masterton, was making his NHL debut. Martin would go on to play only 32 NHL games, all in that single 1967-68 season.

The third period brought more milestones. Larry Keenan etched his name into the St. Louis Blues' history by scoring their first ever goal, assisted by Bob Plager and Fred Hucul. The game would end in a 2-2 tie, with DaveBalon and Wayne Rivers trading goals for Minnesota and St. Louis, respectively.

Additional firsts included:

• Bob Plager receiving the first penalty in Blues franchise history.

• Murray Hall taking the North Stars' first penalty.

• The first recorded fight between the two teams: Roger Picard (Blues) vs. Ted Taylor (North Stars).

About Bill Masterton

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Bill Masterton played three years of NCAA hockey with the University of Denver Pioneers from 1958-59 to 1960-61 before turning pro. In 1961-62, he helped the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens to an EPHL title. That club featured future NHLers Keith McCreary, Jim Roberts, BarclayPlager, Terry Harper and Cesare Maniago.

Moving up the AHL for 1962-63, Masterton finished seventh in overall scoring with 82 points playing for the Cleveland Barons. He left for the USHL after that and would play for the U.S. National Team in 1966-67, prior to joining the North Stars.