Toronto Maple Leafs legend Borje Salming dies at 71
Borje Salming #BorjeSalming
Former NHL player Borje Salming died Thursday at the age of 71.
Salming was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, a neurodegenerative disease also known as ALS, earlier this year. The Swedish player appeared at the game of his former team the Toronto Maple Leafs two weeks ago to be honored in a ceremony before their match against the Vancouver Canucks.
“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,” his former team of 16 seasons tweeted. “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.”
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Salming was the first Swedish player to enter the NHL Hall of Fame. During his career, he played over 1,100 games and scored 150 goals.
“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,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “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.”
As his ALS progressed since his August diagnosis, Salming’s muscles continued to deteriorate, and he had lost the ability to speak last month.
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Salming is survived by his wife, Pia, and his six children, Theresa, Anders, Rasmus, Bianca, Lisa, and Sara.
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Tags: NHL, Hockey, Sweden, Sports, Obituaries
Original Author: Jenny Goldsberry
Original Location: Toronto Maple Leafs legend Borje Salming dies at 71