The Toronto Maple Leafs announced earlier today that hockey had lost one of its’ great pioneers, with the passing of Borje Salming.
It feels genuinely fitting that the last interaction that Borje Salming had with the Toronto Maple Leafs fan base was one filled with such a genuine outpouring of emotion.
It is unquestionable that he left a lasting legacy on hockey as one of the first Europeans to head to North America and make a breakthrough in the NHL.
All done in an era where he repeatedly had to demonstrate his toughness and resilience, both mentally and often physically, often just for being different.
Salming represents the best of hockey, and is one of, if not the very best defenseman to ever wear the Leafs sweater.
Toronto Maple Leafs Did Borje Salming Proud
Just a weekend ago at the Hockey Hall of Fame Game, Borje Salming over the course of two nights, received amazing recognition from the Leafs’ fan base.
While a lot of those fans might not have been old enough to see him pull on a Leafs jersey and lace the skates, they certainly understood his impact on the game.
To applaud him in the way they did, a heartfelt outpouring knowing that he was suffering the debilitating effects of ALS (or Lou Gehrig’s disease); the Toronto Maple Leafs definitely gave him and his family his moment.
To then back that up by icing an all-Swedish starting line-up comprising Erik Kallgren, Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren, William Nylander, Pierre Engvall and Calle Jarnkrok really was the icing on the cake.
It absolutely highlighted just how far the game of hockey has evolved since Salming first laced skates at Maple Leaf Gardens.
His involvement on the ice during Hockey Hall of Fame weekend also couldn’t have been written better.
That it was Daniel Alfredsson along with Henrik and Daniel Sedin being inducted in this year’s group – it all felt very fitting Salming being there, illness be damned.
Toronto Maple Leafs will forever hold a place in their hearts for Borje Salming and it’ll be memories of a hard-nosed playing style in the 1970s and 1980s, eras where the team in general struggled, with Salming a rare bright spot.
He still remains the Toronto Maple Leafs record in assists (620), goals (148), points (768) and playoff points (49) by a defenseman and truly earned his spot on Legends’ Row.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and indeed the whole of the NHL should forever be thankful that Borje Salming chose to come to Canada and stuck around, even when the going was tough.
He will be remembered as one of the greatest European imports into the NHL because he was the pioneer, the one that blazed the trail to allow the rest to follow.
Rest in peace, Borje.