Latest news with #DarrylSittler
National Post
16-07-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Former Toronto Maple Leafs goalie and NHL exec Wayne Thomas dead at 77
Article content Wayne Thomas, the Maple Leaf in net when Darryl Sittler had a record 10 points at the other end and who went on to a long coaching and executive career in the NHL, has died from cancer. Article content The San Jose Sharks, for whom the 77-year-old Thomas worked for nearly the past two decades, confirmed his passing in his hometown of Falmouth, Mass. Article content Article content Thomas joined the Leafs in 1975-76, idled from game action the entire previous season with Montreal by their outstanding goaltending duo of Ken Dryden and Bunny Larocque. Article content Article content Obtained for a first-round pick that became forward Peter Lee, Ottawa native Thomas played two seasons in Toronto with a record of 38-37-18, a 3.41 goals-against average and three shutouts. Article content Thomas played Feb. 7, 1976, watching Sittler pump in six goals and four assists at the Gardens versus Boston and its unfortunate keeper Dave Reece. Article content 'That was incredible, the (points) just kept coming,' Thomas told the Sun in 2023. 'My wife was in the crowd and said to a guy sitting next to her, 'quite a night, eh?' Article content ''Yeah,' he said. 'Except that's my son in the other net.'' Article content Thomas was also in when Sittler had a five-goal playoff game against the Philadelphia Flyers that spring. Article content 'I came into a great situation in Toronto,' Thomas said. 'Doug Favell and Gordie McRae were there, but I played a lot and began to feel part of a team again. That Toronto would use a high pick to get me was a confidence-builder. General manager Jim Gregory was really good to me. Article content Article content 'It was a team of many characters. I got close to the family of Ian Turnbull and George Ferguson, Darryl was a great leader and Borje Salming was tough as nails. He came out of that Flyers series looking like a pin cushion.' Article content Article content The arrival of Mike Palmateer eclipsed Thomas, who was claimed on waivers by the New York Rangers in 1977. Article content Thomas gradually moved to coaching, winning the IHL Turner Cup with New York's farm club in Salt Lake City. Article content
National Post
19-06-2025
- Business
- National Post
LEAFS SNAP SHOTS: There's a history of top-scoring Leafs leaving early
Unless Mitch Marner has a dramatic change of heart in the next 10 days, the Maple Leafs will own a dubious Original Six NHL record. Article content Marner, set to walk as a free agent July 1, would be the fifth of five franchise leading point producers in Toronto to finish their careers with another team. At least one and as many as four members atop the list of Montreal, Boston, Detroit, Chicago and the New York Rangers all stayed through their retirement. Article content Article content Not here, where Marner, with 741 points, will likely join Mats Sundin (987), Darryl Sittler (916), Dave Keon (858) and the late Borje Salming (768) as agreeing to trades or leaving as UFAs. Article content For all but Sundin, the grounds for divorce was owner Harold Ballard's ruinous reign in the 1970s and 1980s, short-changing the future Hall of Famers on contracts or in Salming's case, giving no hope of winning a Stanley Cup. Sundin refused a trade in belief the 2007-08 Leafs would make the playoffs, but eventually departed the next season for no return, signing with Vancouver. Article content Marner, currently 14 points ahead of Auston Matthews on the franchise list, has not commented since the Leafs' ninth straight early playoff elimination, in which the nimble right winger began hinting in the past tense about his hometown future. Article content There's growing evidence of his frustration at being scapegoated for playoff woes despite great regular season numbers. General manager Brad Treliving has stated the Leafs DNA must change to emulate Florida's post-season success and the quick fix is channeling Marner's long-term contract dollars into multiple players on the market or via trades. Article content TAXING TIMES Article content John Tavares's dispute with the Canada Revenue Agency might not be through as quickly as indicated earlier this week. Article content While an adjournment is in effect after the Tax Court wanted the CRA to disclose key internal records, a spokesperson for the government department e-mailed Postmedia this week to clarify the stay is not to be interpreted as a sign the matter will be dismissed. Article content 'The court only adjourned relating to a procedural matter involving document production, not the case itself. The appeal remains active.' Article content At issue is $15.25 million US, the signing bonus in Tavares's seven-year, $77 million deal with the Leafs in 2018. The CRA considers the bonus a salary, to be taxed at 50 per cent. Tavares's camp has countered the rate should be 15 per cent, per a tax treaty with the U.S. covering income earned by non-residents when the long time New York Islander agreed to provide 'services in Canada'.
National Post
17-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
SIMMONS: The mystery of Mitch Marner - the greatest unpopular player in Leafs history
How did it happen that one of the great, uncanny talents in the modern history of Maple Leafs will walk away from the team in a few days time with the circumstances surrounded by difficulty, indifference and disdain? Article content We should have loved Mitch Marner, we in the broad sense, the way we once loved Doug Gilmour or Darryl Sittler or Wendel Clark or, long before that, Dave Keon. Article content Article content We should have celebrated all that he was and could have been. But the marriage between athlete and community got lost in playoff instability, the relationship between star and its hopeful fanbase tripped all over itself until time ran out and there was no place to go for counselling. Article content Toronto adored the best of little Gilmour because of all he gave and because he was never better or bigger than when circumstances required him the most. Article content Toronto adored the fight in Clark, the combustion in his game. He would scrap with anyone, hit anyone and score on anyone. Article content Article content In Marner there was everything that should have translated to local celebrity, the kind of Leaf who walks around for the rest of his life just being applauded for being a Leaf. Article content He was undersized and Toronto always has had a certain hockey affection for the little guy. He was from here, one of us, and we love our own. Article content His on-ice vision was near Gretzky-Kucherov-like. His skating has always been exemplary. His side-to-side movement has been almost Crosby-like. Article content Article content His scoring numbers — he's the first Leafs winger to score 100 points, the first Leafs winger to average 90 points in his first nine seasons as a Leaf, never once missing the playoffs. Article content Article content He has his own charity foundation and seemed happy to give back. Article content He was all that and more — so why didn't we embrace him the way we have embraced so many in the past? Article content Maybe it was his public persona. He came across as stiff and disingenuous. The more he said in interviews, the more his words would be twisted or over-analyzed. Article content He wasn't the debate captain from his school days and maybe someone along the line — an agent, a parent, a media-relations person, a general manager — should have told him that he doesn't come across well. Article content That his words didn't translate to the public at a time when social media distorts every syllable spoken. In post-game scrums, which his how the Maple Leafs have chosen to feature their talent to the public, Marner often had the look you might see on one of those movie hostage videos: In other words, get me out of here now.
National Post
04-06-2025
- Business
- National Post
Here's what Darryl Sittler's historic Maple Leafs sweater fetched at auction
If you were hoping to get your hands on a significant piece of Maple Leafs history, you're out of luck. Article content An anonymous bidder has paid $143,030 for the sweater that Darryl Sittler wore when he recorded 10 points in a Leafs victory against the Boston Bruins on Feb. 7, 1976. Article content Article content The sale was made via Los Angeles-based Grey Flannel Auctions. The starting bid in the online auction, which opened on May 12 and closed on June 1, was $10,000. A total of 29 bids were made. Article content Nearly 50 years after the historic performance, Sittler's 10 points remain a National Hockey League record for one game. That night at Maple Leafs Gardens, the Leafs captain had six goals and four assists as the Leafs shelled Bruins goalie Dave Reece in an 11-4 Toronto win. Article content Reece, who faced 40 shots that night, didn't play in an NHL game again. All 14 of his career games came during the 1975-76 season with the Bruins. Article content The previous record for most points in an NHL game was eight, done by Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens during the 1944-45 season. Article content Since Sittler's extraordinary performance, 12 players have recorded eight points in a game, but no one has had nine. Most recently, Sam Gagner, with the Edmonton Oilers at the time, had eight points (four goals and four assists) on Feb. 2, 2012, in an 8-4 win against the Chicago Blackhawks. Article content Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux both posted two eight-point games during their legendary careers. Article content A game-worn sweater belonging to Gretzky, meanwhile, during his tenure with the New York Rangers sold for $295,492 via Grey Flannel Auctions. The autographed sweater is rare: On April 7, 1998, in a game against the Montreal Canadiens, Gretzky wore the captain's 'C' as Rangers captain Brian Leetch was out of the lineup because he was sick. Article content
Toronto Sun
04-06-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
Here's what Darryl Sittler's historic Maple Leafs sweater fetched at auction
Darryl Sittler's Toronto Maple Leafs jersey from 1976 was up for auction. Grey Flannel Auctions If you were hoping to get your hands on a significant piece of Maple Leafs history, you're out of luck. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account An anonymous bidder has paid $143,030 for the sweater that Darryl Sittler wore when he recorded 10 points in a Leafs victory against the Boston Bruins on Feb. 7, 1976. The sale was made via Los Angeles-based Grey Flannel Auctions. The starting bid in the online auction, which opened on May 12 and closed on June 1, was $10,000. A total of 29 bids were made. Nearly 50 years after the historic performance, Sittler's 10 points remain a National Hockey League record for one game. That night at Maple Leafs Gardens, the Leafs captain had six goals and four assists as the Leafs shelled Bruins goalie Dave Reece in an 11-4 Toronto win. Reece, who faced 40 shots that night, didn't play in an NHL game again. All 14 of his career games came during the 1975-76 season with the Bruins. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The previous record for most points in an NHL game was eight, done by Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens during the 1944-45 season. Since Sittler's extraordinary performance, 12 players have recorded eight points in a game, but no one has had nine. Most recently, Sam Gagner, with the Edmonton Oilers at the time, had eight points (four goals and four assists) on Feb. 2, 2012, in an 8-4 win against the Chicago Blackhawks. Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux both posted two eight-point games during their legendary careers. A game-worn sweater belonging to Gretzky, meanwhile, during his tenure with the New York Rangers sold for $295,492 via Grey Flannel Auctions. The autographed sweater is rare: On April 7, 1998, in a game against the Montreal Canadiens, Gretzky wore the captain's 'C' as Rangers captain Brian Leetch was out of the lineup because he was sick. Gretzky, who retired following the next season, scored the 884th goal of his NHL career that night in a 3-2 Rangers loss. tkoshan@ X: @koshtorontosun Read More Toronto & GTA Crime Celebrity World Sunshine Girls
