Facts: Börje Salming
Born: April 17, 1951 in Kiruna.
Merit: 2 SM golds with Brynäs in 1971 and 1972, World Cup bronze in 1972, World Cup silver in 1973. Selected in the World Cup All Star team in 1973. Rookie of the year in the NHL in 1974.
Selected to the NHL’s All Star team in 1977 and five more times to the NHL’s second All Star team. Selected to the Canada Cup All Star team in 1976.
Nominated for the Norris Trophy on four occasions as one of the NHL’s three best defensemen.
Named the NHL’s best Swedish player, Viking Award, three times.
Career: Made his debut in Kiruna AIF in 1967 in the then division 2. Recruited in 1970 to the Allsvenskan top team Brynäs. Made his debut in the Tre Kronor national team in 1972 and won the WC bronze the same year.
In 1973 he took the step to the NHL and Toronto where he stayed for 16 seasons. He finished his NHL career with one year in Detroit before moving home to Sweden for three elite league seasons in AIK.
In total, he played 1,148 NHL games and is considered, with his self-sacrificing playing style, to be the one who paved the way for Europeans in the NHL.
In 1996, he became the first Swede to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Two years later, he was elected to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Hall of Fame.
Named to IIHF Centennial 2008 All Star Team of the Century
Börje Salming is currently in Canada to attend the so-called Hall of Fame weekend.
For the second night in a row, the ALS-stricken legend was honored, this evening during a ceremony entirely in Salming’s honor before the Maple Leafs’ game against Vancouver.
Accompanied by his family, it was a visibly happy ‘number 21’ who took to the ice to cheers and whistles, glazed eyes and reverent applause – that never wanted to end.
“Start, the entire Leafs nation loves you!” said the announcer, after Salming dropped the ceremonial first puck.
“He’s so happy”
Already on Friday, before the meeting between Toronto and Pittsburgh, Salming met the crowd in the home arena, for the first time in a long time.
— He is so happy to be here. I spoke to his family and they say they have hardly ever seen him this happy. That’s why he’s here and that’s why they’re here – they want to see Börje have happy moments like this, his friend Darryl Sittler, 72, told TT after Friday’s tributes.
Sittler was by his friend’s side and helped him during the first evening’s ceremony. Tonight he was more behind the scenes, but still with tears in his eyes.
— As a friend, it is easy to be by someone’s side when everything is going well, but it is even more important to show support and love when things are tougher.
The tributes continued to show even out on the ice. Toronto’s first five consisted of 100 percent Swedes:
Erik Källgren in goal, Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren as back pair, and William Nylander, Calle Järnkrok and Pierre Engvall as forwards.
“Emotional”
Before tonight’s match, there were not many questions from the press that did not concern the man who, after 16 seasons at the club, has icon status.
— He is such a legend in Sweden. “It was emotional to see him last night, hopefully he’ll have a good day today as well,” Toronto’s Timothy Liljegren said at a press conference earlier in the day.
Few were left unmoved by Salming’s presence.
— It was emotional to see him out there and the audience was like crazy, it was nice, said Calle Järnkrok, about Friday’s tributes.
It was unclear for a long time whether Börje Salming would go to Canada. It was only last week that it became clear that the trip will be cancelled. Salming has been suffering from the severe disease ALS for some time. Since his illness, his condition has deteriorated rapidly. He can no longer speak and has difficulty both eating and walking.