Defend Your Hearing with Hockey Hall of Famer Darryl Sittler and Connect Hearing | Connect Hearing

Hockey Legend to Hearing Health Hero

Darryl Sittler is one of Canada’s greatest hockey legends, with an unbroken record of scoring 10 points in a single game for the Toronto Maple Leafs, scoring the winning goal in the Canada Cup of 1976, and being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989. Today, one of his passions is encouraging Canadians to live healthier lives.

An Ambassador for Important Causes

Darryl has long worked to raise awareness for important causes — he is well-remembered for having joined Terry Fox when the Marathon of Hope came to Toronto in 1982. And after losing his first wife of 30 years, Wendy, to colorectal cancer, he became a tireless advocate for the importance of early screening. Darryl has been thanked many times by people who have been successfully treated for their cancer, and credit him with encouraging them to get tested.

We are excited to share that Darryl, a client at Connect Hearing, has joined forces with us to help educate others about hearing health.

Darryl’s Connect Hearing Experience

Throughout his life, Darryl has always believed in being prepared for whatever comes next. As a kid that meant working on his skills all summer to be ready for hockey season. Now, it means taking care of his health so that he’ll be ready to get the most out of his busy life. Most years, that means getting an annual physical, eye exam, and hearing test. Darryl had noticed for some time that he could not always hear everyone in a crowded corporate suite or at a restaurant with friends, but due to COVID, he hadn’t had a hearing check in 18 months. He decided to visit the Connect Hearing location in Orillia, Ontario, near his summer cottage. “They were awesome. The test was very easy and didn’t take long. And they did a great job of going through the instructions—showing me how to look after the hearing aids, change batteries, that sort of thing,” says Sittler.

Now, he notices how much clearer everything sounds, and he doesn’t have to ask his wife to repeat something she says from another room. He’s not worried about people seeing him wear hearing aids: “I'd rather have a hearing aid on and be a part of the conversation and not miss out on things with my grandkids or other conversations.”

To Darryl, looking after your hearing is a health issue. “I’m happy to do what I can to increase awareness if I think it will help people. I don’t want there to be a stigma about hearing loss.”

We are thrilled to partner with Darryl Sittler because we know that when one of the country’s greatest hockey legends speaks, Canada listens. To get your hearing checked, book an appointment at your local Connect Hearing clinic here.