Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs paid tribute to their hero Börje Salming.
And thanks to a stroke of genius from the team’s coach Sheldon Keefe – there was an extra Swedish touch to the emotional evening.
No one has missed the incredibly emotional images from Saturday night, when Börje Salming and a number of other Toronto legends were honored as part of the Hockey Hall of Fame ceremony.
New tribute night
Salming was helped by former teammate Darryl Sittler and Mats Sundin to get onto the ice and receive the big cheers of the Toronto crowd.
Last night Toronto played again, against Vancouver, and Toronto had organized a new tribute night, aimed directly at Börje Salming and his family.
It was, of course, once again emotional for all involved.
So also for Toronto’s Swedish players. The team’s coach Sheldon Keefe lined up with a brand new first five for the lineup. A complete Swede.
Cheers in the dressing room
Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren on the slopes. Wiliam Nylander, Pierre Engvall, Calle Järnkrok as forwards. And Erik Källgren in goal.
Liljegren told Sportsnet that great cheers broke out in the dressing room when coach Keefe announced the starting six.
Today’s Swedish Toronto players are obviously aware of how big Börje Salming is in the city. But also how much Salming meant to future Swedish players in the NHL.
– I thought it felt like a given to pay tribute to Salming in that way. When you see the reactions from our fans, the reactions from our players, you really feel like part of a family, like part of something bigger. You feel how important it is and how much our players can affect the city, says Keefe.
Part of the tributes consisted of a powerful clip, which was shown on the jumbotron: