Börje Salming was ready to end his career after the NHL adventure.
But then the legend made a decision that extended his career by a full three years.
– I had decided to quit, he says.
Börje Salming is undoubtedly one of Sweden’s greatest hockey players of all time. He is a real icon, and became hugely popular for his efforts on the ice during his career.
Wanted to quit
Backen played over 15 seasons in the NHL, almost all of them in Toronto, where he became a real cult hero. The Swede has a statue outside the club’s hometown, and is one of the organization’s best players ever.
Börje Salming, however, did not end his NHL career in the Maple Leafs. He played one year in the Detroit Red Wings before returning home to Sweden again in 1990 – then the plan was to quit hockey altogether.
– I had decided to stop playing hockey and settle in the Stockholm area. The family felt that it could be too big a step to move directly from a big city like Toronto to a city that is too small. We agreed that Stockholm would suit us well, he says to hockey Sweden.
“Damn happy about it”
But then the legend changed his mind. The idea was instead to play one last year in Sweden – but which was eventually extended by another two years.
– Anders Hedberg was sports director at AIK then and he called me… I do not know how many times it was, he says and continues:
– In any case, I finally thought that “what the hell can it be fun to try to play a year in AIK”. It was three seasons and it’s a time I’m damn happy about.
There were a total of 82 matches for AIK in both the elite series and in the Allsvenskan. It was years that Börje Salming appreciated enormously – both on and off the hockey rink.
– Not only because it was fun to play with AIK but also because I could connect with many business relationships for the future and the business that I have today, even though there were some lunatics as well, he says.
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