*Photo from the Globe and Mail*
Legendary Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Borje Salming passed away at the age of 71 following a battle with ALS, according to a Thursday announcement from the Maple Leafs.
Maple Leafs team president Brendan Shanahan said in a statement that "The Toronto Maple Leafs mourn the loss of Borje Salming. Borje was a pioneer of the game and an icon with an unbreakable spirit and unquestioned toughness. He helped open the door for Europeans in the NHL and defined himself through his play on the ice and through his contributions to the community. Borje joined the Maple Leafs 50 years ago and will forever be a part of our hockey family. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Pia, his children Theresa, Anders, Rasmus, Bianca, Lisa, and Sara, and brother Stieg."
Salming was diagnosed with ALS in April of this year, but didn't make the news public until August. On November 12, Salming returned to Toronto despite his illness and was honored by the Maple Leafs prior to their game that night. Toronto's starting lineup that night was all Swedish in a hat tip to Salming.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement that "A superior all-around defenseman and the first Swedish star ever to play in the League, Borje Salming was as physically and mentally tough as he was skillfully gifted. He blazed the trail that many of the greatest players in NHL history followed while shattering all of the stereotypes about European players that had been prevalent in a League populated almost entirely by North Americans before his arrival in 1973."
The Maple Leafs took a chance on Salming in the 1973-1974 season, and after an average rookie season, he took off the following year and never looked back. His first seven seasons saw him finish in the top 5 in Norris Trophy voting and was in the first or second all NHL team in six of those seasons.
His career ended with 787 points, with 768 of them with Toronto, good for 4th place in team history. His 1,099 games played with Toronto are 3rd in team history, and his 620 assists leads the team leaderboards. His number was retired in 2016 and was the first Swedish player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame when he was inducted in 1996.
Lanny McDonald, one of Salming's teammates, said that "The courage that it took when he first came to North America, to see him after a game. Opponents abused him, his body was covered with welts, but he'd just say, 'I'm fine, I'm OK.' I think he knew what it was going to take to get through it. And oh my gosh, did he pave the way for so many other great players to be able to play in the National Hockey League."
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