Darryl Sittler urges patience with McKenna and weighs in on trade drama

From his home in Toronto, 76-year-old Darryl Sittler is still very much plugged into the NHL storylines that mirror parts of his own past. The Hall of Famer has been watching highly touted Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Gavin McKenna, the turbulent summer of Dylan Larkin in Detroit and Connor Hellebuyck’s standoff in Winnipeg, situations that all touch on themes he experienced during his playing days.

Cancer fundraiser and ongoing role around the Maple Leafs

Sittler is once again front and centre at Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer, the annual street hockey fundraiser in Toronto benefiting Princess Margaret Hospital. He notes that roughly $38 million has been raised through the event over the years, with organizers targeting another $4 million this year. Calling Princess Margaret “one of the top cancer hospital clinics in the world,” he emphasizes how much research depends on donations.

Cancer is deeply personal for Sittler after his wife, Wendy, died of colon cancer at age 52. He stresses the importance of getting screened and staying proactive about health. On the hockey side, he continues to serve as a Maple Leafs ambassador alongside Wendel Clark, Doug Gilmour, Curtis Joseph and Darcy Tucker, attending around 15 of the club’s 42 home dates to meet fans and suite guests. After Toronto missed the playoffs last season, he’s encouraged by the work of the new management group but points out that the team still plays in a difficult division and conference.

McKenna’s spotlight start in Toronto

McKenna arrived as the No. 1 pick and a new face of hope for a Leafs team coming off that playoff miss, a scenario Sittler knows well from his own arrival as a top-10 pick in 1970. He underlines how demanding the league can be, particularly in a market where expectations and pressure spike quickly.

Sittler believes McKenna has the talent to grow into a long-term franchise cornerstone, even if his first few NHL games have not yet produced big offensive numbers. He urges fans and media to resist overreacting to a slow start and to give the rookie time to adjust. For Sittler, the key for McKenna is to focus on daily work habits, practise hard and bring the same passion that made him a first-overall selection, trusting that the results will follow.

Larkin, Hellebuyck and familiar tension between stars and teams

In Detroit, Larkin’s off-season, which included a trade request and the removal of his captaincy, inevitably invites comparisons to Sittler’s own fallout with Toronto management in the early 1980s. He is cautious about drawing direct lines, though, stressing that every situation is its own and that such rifts are difficult for everyone involved.

Sittler also points to Hellebuyck’s impasse with the Winnipeg Jets. The goaltender is tied to a long-term contract and has been a central figure for the franchise, yet now finds himself in a holdout. Sittler notes that players often sign lengthy deals believing they will spend most of their careers with one team, only for circumstances to shift later due to personnel changes or family factors. That creates a strain not only on the player but also on fans and management, with the team holding contractual control while the goaltender simply wants to be playing.

Looking more broadly, Sittler observes that individual stars still drive fandom across the league, much as Jean Beliveau did for him growing up in Ontario. Today it may be Connor McDavid in Edmonton or Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh, but the underlying dynamic — and the recurring tension between star players and their clubs — remains a familiar part of NHL history.