Matthews joined Sittler among Maple Leafs legends by passing Sundin

Legendary hockey reporter Stan Fischler writes a weekly scrapbook for NHL.com. Known as "The Hockey Maven," Fischler delivers his insight and humor to readers each Wednesday. This week compares Auston Matthews, the irrepressible captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, with a record-breaking Maple Leafs leader of bygone seasons, Darryl Sittler.

Charlie Conacher, Syl Apps, Ted Kennedy, Frank Mahovlich, Darryl Sittler and Mats Sundin -- all Hockey Hall of Famers; all who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Auston Matthews has now reached a scoring level whereby he can be listed with those revered heroes of yesteryear. The Maple Leafs captain passed Sundin with the 421st goal of his career in a Toronto uniform at 17:19 of the second period of a 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on Jan. 3.

"It means a lot," Matthews said. "It's a very historical franchise, and I take a lot of pride in putting on the jersey every day. So, to be in the same sentence as some of the greats that have come before us means a lot. It's extremely special. And I'm very humbled, and I couldn't do it without a great group of guys around me."

The comparisons were inevitable. In his 10th NHL season, Matthews has won the Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer three times (2020-21 with 41 goals; 2021-22 with 60 goals and 2023-24 with a Maple Leafs-record 69). He tied Sundin with his 420th NHL goal at 9:30 of the second period against the Islanders.

"Auston, congratulations on beating my record," Sundin, who was Maple Leafs captain from 1997 to 2008 and entered the Hall in 2012, said in an Instagram post. "You're going to enjoy it more when your career is over, but it's a great milestone and good luck chasing the big championship with the Toronto Maple Leafs."

Justin Bourne is a Canada-based journalist and former assistant coach for Toronto of the American Hockey League whose father, Bob Bourne, is a four-time Stanley Cup champion with the Islanders. He sees the best version of Matthews when he’s a puck magnet with a unique release that makes him a threat from just about everywhere.

"When Auston Matthews is at his best, scoring a goal becomes blood in the water, and he's the only shark," he said. "Once he gets the scent, he's tough to stop.

"He's a first ballot Hall of Famer already, who's on to the phase of his career where all that will matter is team success. In a league where a lot of today's players look the same, he is must-see TV, and better in person."

One of Sittler's signature accomplishments took place almost a half-century ago: an NHL-record 10 points (six goals, four assists) in Toronto's 11-4 win against the Boston Bruins at Maple Leaf Gardens on Feb. 7, 1976.

"What started as an ordinary game wound up with Sittler breaking the record of eight points in a single game previously set by Maurice Richard on (Dec. 28, 1944) and later tied by Bert Olmstead (Jan. 9, 1954)," wrote historian Mike Commito in "Hockey 365: Daily Stories from the Ice."

In "The Game I'll Never Forget: 100 Hockey Stars' Stories," Sittler told reporter George Vass, "Almost every time I touched the puck it resulted in a goal."

The similarity between Matthews and Sittler includes the fact that each skated side by side with a skilled right wing, Sittler with Lanny McDonald and Matthews with Mitch Marner.

McDonald was traded to the Colorado Rockies on Dec. 29, 1979. Marner was sent to the Vegas Golden Knights on July 1, 2025, and then signed an eight-year, $96 million contract.

"Both watched their linemates get traded," Toronto-based historian and archivist Paul Patskou said. "Sittler took it hard and his relationship with management deteriorated. We are still seeing how Matthews will adapt to losing Marner, his 100-point winger, to Vegas."

An obvious difference is in their backgrounds. Sittler was born in Kitchener, Ontario, a legendary hockey hotbed where innumerable future NHL players honed their games to sharpness. By contrast, Matthews is the first NHL superstar to emerge from sunbaked Scottsdale, Arizona.

Another difference relates to their rookie seasons. Matthews scored four goals in his first NHL game against the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 12, 2016. Sittler completed his injury-riddled rookie season (1970-71) with a mere 10 goals and Matthews with 40, but as Sittler matured, he established himself as one of the Maple Leafs' most reliable forwards.

In Game 2 of the best-of-3 final against Czechoslovakia in the inaugural 1976 Canada Cup, Sittler scored in overtime by deking goalie Vladimir Dzurilla -- drawing him far out of the crease -- and then scoring into the empty net for a 5-4 win at the Montreal Forum. Though neither Sittler nor Matthews have won the Stanley Cup, Sittler entered the Hall of Fame with the Class of 1989. He's also remembered for his 117 points in 1977-78, a Maple Leafs record broken by Doug Gilmour (127) in 1992-93.

Sittler emerged as one of the most popular captains in Maple Leafs annals and a superb performer in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (74 points; 29 goals, 45 assists in 76 games). Matthews took over the captaincy from John Tavares on Aug. 14, 2024. He has 59 points (26 goals, 33 assists) in 68 postseason games but has yet to play beyond the Eastern Conference Second Round. The 52-win Maple Leafs lost the 2025 second round in seven games to the Florida Panthers that ended with a 6-1 loss on home ice.

"It's hard to say because everything is so different," Hall of Fame forward Johnny Bucyk said. "They’re both very good. Of course I’ll never forget the game Sittler had against us, 10 points in one game!

"Matthews is so big and strong (6-foot-3, 215). He likes to set up in front of the net. You see so much of that now, the big guys like to camp out in front of the net and block the goaltenders. He also has that quick release while Sittler had the big slapshot."

But Matthews, at age 28, is at his career crest and will represent Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortino 2026. He could subsequently help engineer Toronto's first Stanley Cup title since 1967.

"It could happen," Patskou said, "if he adapted Sittler's style and showed the same leadership role."

The good news is that both time and talent are on Matthews' side.