PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Tommy Salo is absolutely nobbed in the “Best goalkeeper of all time” category.
That makes old goalkeeper colleague Tommy Söderström react strongly.
“Unbelievable, he’s 2nd in my book,” writes the Tre Kronor legend on Twitter.
There are few Swedish hockey goalies who can match Tommy Salos merit list. He helped win Tre Kronor’s very first Olympic gold in 1994 thanks to a matchless parade during the penalty shootout in the final.
Salo is completely nobbed
In addition, Salo has picked up a total of 7 WC medals with Tre Kronor, with the WC gold in 1998 being the loudest. Add to that a full 10 seasons and over 500 games in the NHL and it is one of Swedish hockey’s most meritorious goalies ever.
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But when “The best goalie of all time” is to be named at the big hockey gala in Avicii Arena on Thursday, the 51-year-old is completely snubbed. Instead it is Pelle Lindbergh, Pekka Lindmark, Klimpen Häggroth, Honken Holmqvist and Henrik Lundqvist who are nominated.
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“Feels like mockery”
Tommy Salo is invited to the “Hockey Gala of the Ages” on Thursday evening, but now chooses not to go in pure protest against the Swedish Hockey Association.
– You are a little surprised. It feels more like a mockery that they invited me, he says in an interview with Sportbladet.
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The decision to nobba Salo completely has aroused strong reactions around hockey Sweden in the last 24 hours. Now another Swedish old goalkeeper chooses to vent his displeasure and support his former goalkeeper colleague, namely Tommy Söderstrom.
“Quite right Salo, unbelievable that you are not nominated with your merits. 2 in my book, even if it is difficult to compare across different eras,” writes Söderström in his criticism on Twitter and continues:
“He should definitely have been in the top 5. Absolutely incredible if you ask me that he is not nominated with his track record and strange gap with nominated national team goalkeepers from Pekka 1991 to Henke 2020”.
READ MORE: Mikael Renberg’s tearful tribute to Börje Salming: “He is very brave who shows his weakest self”
Söderström’s criticism
Tommy Söderström is also not nominated or for that matter invited to the “Hockey Gala of the Times” when Swedish hockey celebrates 100 years with a big party and the best Swedish player in history is to be named.
“Didn’t receive an invitation and apparently 2 WC gold, 1 WC silver, 2 Olympics, 2 Canada Cups/World Cups throughout the 90s and lots of advertising for hockey in various TV programs such as Mästarnas mäster, Renée’s Bridge etc. But I’m not bitter,” he writes on Twitter.
Söderström and Salo played together in both Tre Kronor and the NHL team New York Islanders, and just like his former teammate who is nobbed, he is not particularly keen to go to the gala, even if he has been invited.
“I wouldn’t have gone even if I had been invited… Such galas are not my thing (I had to go to the Sports Gala when I was in MM). And of course not everyone can get an invitation and I’m not one bit bitter about that, of course,” writes the goalkeeper hero in his explanation.
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The criticism: