PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Börje Salming received the great love of the hockey world this weekend.
The Swedish hockey icon was moved to tears on the ice, and he was not the only one.
– We sat and cried together, admits Janne Andersson to SVT from the national team gathering.
During the weekend have Börje Salming celebrated in the most powerful and emotional way as the entire hockey world united and turned all their thoughts to Toronto. Two days in a row, the Swedish hockey icon got to go out on the ice and receive the crowd’s big cheers.
Janne’s tears
The ALS-sick 71-year-old was moved to tears and the pictures of Samling have been spread all over the world touching millions and millions again. So also our Swedish national football team, which is currently in a national team meeting.
The article continues after the picture.
The national team captain Jan Andersson describes Börje as a great athlete and a fantastic person. He also admits that the national team sat together and saw the tributes to Salming and that they were moved to tears.
– When you see this, you feel sad, but also happy that he gets to experience this. And when people show this love, sports are at their best. Then there is the hugely tragic nature of the disease itself, there are extremely divided feelings when you see it. But we in the coaching team sat and watched it in the hotel room yesterday and cried together, says Janne to SVT Sport.
READ MORE: NHL expert Håkan Södergren almost breaks down when he pays tribute to Börje Salming with five fantastic words
The memory of Börje
The soccer coach then highlights Salming’s standing ovation from the Canadian crowd in the 1976 Canada Cup as one of his greatest sporting moments.
– 76, then I sat at home on Eketångavägen in the basement and watched as he stepped into the Canada Cup and was celebrated and scored the 1-1 goal against the USA. He is a fantastic person, he tells the television channel.
The article continues after the picture.
After this weekend’s tributes in Toronto, Börje Salming will travel back to Sweden this week to receive new tributes during the “Hockey Gala of the Ages” in Avicii Arena on Thursday. With him back from Canada, the 71-year-old will also bring valuable brake medicine to help in the tough everyday life.
READ MORE: The city’s mighty tribute to Börje Salming – the Swedish hockey icon now gets its very own street