PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Swedish sports will never forget Börje Salming.
He left a big impression on everyone interested in hockey.
Now Valter Skarsgård opens up about the icon, which he had the honor of playing.
It has been two years Börje Salming so tragically passed away. He is one of Swedish sports’ greatest heroes of all time and is sorely missed.
Skarsgård about Börje
A year ago, the TV series about Börje Salming’s early life and hockey career came out, it is called “Börje – The journey of a legend” and can be seen on Viaplay. There the actor got Walter Skarsgård the honor of portraying the famous hockey player.
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Not an easy task as Skarsgård also had to learn to skate. Now he opens up about the first time Salming got to see him as “Bambi on the ice”, see the clip below.
– The first thing Börje did to me when I stepped out on the ice was to hit my shin guards hard with the club. And I could barely stand, this was early in skating practice and I could barely receive a puck without falling, Valter tells the morning show “Good Morning NHL”.
– Then he snapped and simply: “Now we’re driving”. But he was never worried about me, he knew that everything would work out, that we had a lot of time. He mostly thought it was fun to fit in with me.
“Thanks to Salming”
A clear proof that Salming treated everyone the same and he wanted to challenge Valter Skarsgård if he would succeed in playing him in the right way. The meeting on the ice was also one of the last between the two, see the video below.
– Then unfortunately he got sick when we started filming so he couldn’t complain about my skating, Valter says with a laugh.
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Salming will forever be remembered for his amazing hockey career and his big heart off the ice. For many, he has been a great role model and the one who paved the way for Swedish hockey players in the NHL.
– It is thanks to Börje. He opened that door and showed North America that this is Sweden, this is what we can do. It is Börje’s character that stands out the most if you have met him, that this kind and soft person could be the rock-hard hockey player, says the former NHL Swede Mattias Norström.
We will never forget you, Börje Salming! 🌹
Watch the video:
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