Who was he to me?
Two decades a Leaf. I was 3 when he joined the blue and white. I was 18 when he left the Leafs. Basically he was the Leafs blue line for me growing up. Sure some good d-men came and went. But he stayed. Through the great times in the 70’s he was there. Through the turmoil and changes of the 80’s he was there. He was the rock on the blue line. He could have been captain but didn’t want it. He was happy just to be in the NHL. He just wanted to put the jersey on and play the game.
My best memories of Salming
1. The cut:
Over 200 stitches in face That’s not a typo. Over 200 stitches. In the game vs. Detroit Borje took a skate to the face. It was nasty. I mean nasty. He was sliced and diced. So what does he do? Laces ‘em a couple of nights later. He really looked like Frankenstein standing out there on the ice.
2. A little bit chippy
"All the other players had to test us. We were just chicken hockey players from Europe. For a couple of years, it was chicken Swede this, and chicken Swede that. I never hear it any more. A few elbows took care of that." -- Borje Salming - January 1981
Salming was tough. I don’t remember him fighting much but he would lay out the hits and he wasn't afraid to get a little dirty if it was called for. Keep in mind these were different times in hockey. This was the era of the bench brawl. And Salming was a European pioneering in a Canadian game so he was targeted pretty badly. But he dished it right back.
3. Canada cup standing ovation
"I'll never forget our game in Toronto. The fans gave me a standing ovation during the introductions. I was representing my country and Canadian fans gave me a standing ovation. Sometimes hockey has no country." Börje said years later. I forget where I got this quote but it really was a special moment. As I mentioned above, Salming was one of the first European pioneers into the NHL. Before this time it truly was a Canadian game.
That standing ovation marked two things.
1) Canada's true acceptance that hockey was a global sport.
2) Leaf fans appreciation for one of the best defensemen to ever lace up a pair of skates.
4. The Setup man
Many forget, but Salming was actually a point per game guy during those good years in the late 70’s. Not much of a goal scorer but he was a key setup man on the blue line for the Leafs.
5. What happened?
Nothing! For once we have a happy ending to a Leaf career in the 80’s. He got old. He retired. Yeah I know he tried to play one more season for the dead things, but it didn’t mean much. For once Ballard and the Leafs didn’t foul it up. They realized they had a great player in Salming and they wisely kept him.
A Fan's Tribute To Borje Salming -- By B_Wforever -- 01/09/06
"Every Swede respects Borje and pays him tribute
for what he has done. For us - Swedish hockey
players - he is the man who showed us the right
way; he is a trailblazer."