PHOTO: Bildbyrån/Youtube
Björn “Böna” Johansson played as a back partner with Börje Salming during the Canada Cup in 1976 – a tournament we of course remember through the enormous tributes that Salming received.
But the tributes didn’t just reach Salming himself, but also touched his teammates.
– It was felt deep into the spinal cord of all the rest of us, says Björn Johansson.
Börje Salming died on November 24 in the aftermath of the disease ALS. The weeks before, he had to receive enormous tributes both in Toronto but also at home in Sweden at the “Tidernas Hockeygala”. One of the awards Salming received was the “Moment of the Ages”, which was about the time he was applauded by the Canadian crowd during the Canada Cup in 1976.
Huge tributes
During the match against the host nation Canada, Börje Salming was celebrated with a standing ovation, a celebration that lasted for several minutes. Björn “Böna” Johansson played back together with Börje Salming during the tournament, and would step out onto the ice shortly after Salming received the great applause from the stands.
– That he would get a big ovation on their home ground, which was now his home ground as well, we never thought that and it felt deep in the spinal cord of all the rest of us, says Johansson to the site hockeysverige.se
The article continues after the picture.
He continues:
– I went in and out through the booth door at the same time as Börje spun, spun and spun out there on the ice. I think we were all a bit taken aback and probably didn’t know what the hell was going to happen. But he deserved the accolades.
READ MORE: The family’s touching words and tears when Börje Salming’s very own ice statue was unveiled: “I am shaken”
“Sharpened mallet”
The two backs also lived together during the tournament, and according to Bengt Johansson, Börje Salming knew that there could possibly be some tributes. But not at the level that it later became.
– We lived together during the tournament so there was a lot of talk between us. He suspected it might be something, but he probably didn’t think it would be this big. He had received similar ovations already in the club team in Toronto. He brought something new over there.
The article continues after the picture.
Apart from the tributes to Börje Salming, it is above all an event that Björn “Böna” Johansson strongly remembers from the Canada Cup.
– When we meet the USA in the first match. They had a hill, Lou Nanne, which we Swedes had met in some WC tournament before the Canada Cup. It was such a devil who would only mess with us Swedes. He sharpened his blade on the club so it would be razor sharp so he could stab us in the kneecaps with it, says Johansson.
– He was at “Stigge” (Stig Salming, Börje’s brother) during a change, but then Börje came in and kept an eye on him and after that Lou Nanne kept quiet. Börje really had respect with him.
Watch the powerful tribute:
READ MORE: Börje Salming’s last wish in life – older brother Stig Salming reveals the icon’s plea: “It was his demand”