Maple Leafs legend, Hall of Famer Salming dies

Borje Salming, legendary NHL defenseman and trailblazer of European-born players successful North America, has died amid a astir two-year agelong conflict with ALS. He was 71 years old.

The Toronto Maple Leafs, for whom Salming played the bulk of his career, released a statement connected Thursday to denote Salming's passing.

"The Toronto Maple Leafs mourn the nonaccomplishment of Börje Salming," said Leafs' President and Alternate Governor Brendan Shanahan. "Börje was a pioneer of the crippled and an icon with an unbreakable tone and unquestioned toughness. He helped unfastened the doorway for Europeans successful the NHL and defined himself done his play connected the crystal and done his contributions to the community.

Börje joined the Maple Leafs 50 years agone and volition everlastingly beryllium a portion of our hockey family. We widen our deepest condolences to his wife, Pia, his children Theresa, Anders, Rasmus, Bianca, Lisa and Sara and member Stieg."

Salming's decorated NHL vocation spanned 17 seasons from 1973-90 betwixt Toronto and Detroit, with a resume boasting 1,148 games and 787 points. A two-time runner-up for the Norris Trophy, Salming became the archetypal Swedish-born subordinate to beryllium inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame successful 1996 and 2 years aboriginal helium entered the IIHF Hall of Fame. The blueliner was an NHL archetypal squad All Star successful 1977 and a five-time NHL second-team All-Star betwixt 1975-80.

For 16 of his 17 NHL campaigns, Salming was 'The King' of Toronto, patrolling the Maple Leafs' blueline with a physicality and grit that flew successful the look of communal stereotypes that Swedish-bred skaters similar himself were excessively brushed to marque it successful the bruising NHL. Salming had made an contiguous content though erstwhile Leafs' scout Gerry McNamara spotted him playing overseas successful 1973. McNamara was successful Sweden to scout Inge Hammarstrom; helium coiled up signing Salming to a escaped cause woody instead.

The defender rapidly became a instrumentality favourite successful Toronto and embraced his popularity there. In January 1998, Salming became the archetypal European-born subordinate to scope the 1,000-game mark. The pursuing year, Salming inked a one-year escaped cause woody with the Red Wings to decorativeness retired his career. Salming's bequest successful Toronto arsenic the franchise's antiaircraft person successful assists (620) and points (760) remained though, and his No. 21 has since been retired by the organization.

After retiring Salming remained an progressive portion of the hockey community, which was devasted to larn of his ALS diagnosis successful August. A progressive illness of the tense system, ALS affects cells successful the encephalon and spinal cord that leads to musculus power loss. Salming primitively began experiencing symptoms successful February and his wellness rapidly declined from there. Last month, Salming revealed helium had mislaid the quality to speak.

While the unwellness attacked his body, Salming's resoluteness remained intact. He was determined to be Hall of Fame play successful Toronto earlier this period erstwhile 3 much Swedish players would beryllium inducted. Salming made it, and the Maple Leafs honored him with a pre-game tribute up of their crippled against Vancouver. An flooded Salming came to the crystal surrounded by household to instrumentality successful the lasting ovation. The ceremonial puck driblet was done by Swedish-born Oliver Ekman-Larsson and William Nylander, and Leafs' manager Sheldon Keefe iced a starting lineup that featured each six of Toronto's Swedish-born players.

That was the 2nd lawsuit successful arsenic galore nights wherever Salming was recognized. The nighttime before, astatine the yearly Hall of Fame crippled betwixt Toronto and Pittsburgh, Salming was helped to the crystal by bully person and erstwhile teammate Darryl Sittler, who broke down successful tears watching Salming cheered connected by the arena. Salming met with Sittler successful September and said helium wanted to beryllium successful Toronto for this play that would diagnostic 3 Swedish-born inductees successful Vancouver's Henrik and Daniel Sedin and Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson.

Salming was a pioneer successful each sense, making it imaginable for European-bred players of contiguous to thrive successful the North American realm.