Mats Sundin was the ultimate team captain.
His gifts to his teammates were incredibly generous – and he kept them secret.
– He never told anyone, says Toronto icon Wendel Clark.
Mats Sundin was the giant talent who wrote Swedish hockey history when he was selected as the first draft pick by the Quebec Nordiques in 1989. Sundin arrived in the NHL with high expectations for himself – and he surpassed them all. Sundin developed into one of the league’s best players ever, and his status in Toronto remains iconic to this day.
Incredible player
When Mats Sundin was traded to Toronto, four seasons into his NHL career, many raised their eyebrows. Not that Mats Sundin was a bad player, but in the opposite direction went the icon Wendel Clark, one of the most beloved players in Toronto history, so it was heavy shoes that Sundin had to fill.
But he immediately proved that the Toronto Maple Leafs were right to invest in him, and to this day Sundin holds a number of mighty records within the organization. He played in eight All Stars, he is the only Swede over 500 goals, and when he retired, he did so as Toronto’s leading scorer and scorer in history. But he was more than just a great player.
READ MORE: Mats Sundin reveals the two unknown words to Peter Forsberg – which were absolutely decisive in the Olympic gold
Fantastic gift
Mats Sundin was obviously team captain material, and he was hugely appreciated in the role. Now, Wendel Clark, the same Clark that Sundin was tried against, also reveals how the Swede used to help his teammates.
– Often the players in the team could be out at a restaurant and think: “Oh, how nice of the restaurant to invite us to dinner”. But that was not the case. It was Mats Sundin who had taken the bill. He just didn’t tell anyone, Clark says.
Clark and Sundin both have their jerseys retired in Toronto. Clark returned later in his career to Toronto, and his admiration for Sundin is immense.
– It was a big trade. But what Mats did was almost unimaginable. Everything he did for the organization…
READ MORE: Mats Sundin’s strong confession about Börje Salming’s last days – and emotional words from his wife