Börje Salming facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Börje Salming
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1996
Salming in 2012
Born	(1951-04-17)17 April 1951 Salmi, Sweden
Died	24 November 2022(2022-11-24) (aged 71) Nacka, Sweden
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	209 lb (95 kg; 14 st 13 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Left
Played for	Brynäs IF Toronto Maple Leafs Detroit Red Wings AIK Hockey
National team	Sweden
NHL Draft	Undrafted
Playing career	1967–1993
Medal record Representing Sweden Men's ice hockey World Championships Silver 1973 Soviet Union Bronze 1972 Czechoslovakia

Anders Börje Salming (born 17 April 1951 – died 24 November 2022) was a famous Swedish ice hockey player. He played as a defenceman, which is a player who helps protect the team's goal. Börje played professionally for 23 seasons.

He played for teams like Brynäs IF, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, and AIK. He spent 16 seasons with the Maple Leafs. They even retired his jersey number 21 in 2016 to honor him. Salming holds many records for the Maple Leafs, including the most assists. He also played a lot for Sweden in international games, winning two World Championship medals.

Salming was one of the first European players to become a big star in the National Hockey League (NHL). Because of this, he is often called a "trailblazer." He was chosen for six NHL All-Star Teams in a row. In 1996, Salming became the first European player to be added to the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2017, the NHL named him one of the 100 Greatest Players in the league's first 100 years.

In July 2022, Salming was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This is a serious illness that affects the nerves and muscles. He passed away on 24 November 2022. This was just days after he received an award in what his wife said would be their last public appearance.

Early Life

Börje Salming was born on 17 April 1951. He grew up in a village called Salmi in Kiruna Municipality, Sweden. His father, Erland, was from the Sami group. His mother, Karin, was Swedish.

Börje's grandfather changed their family name to Salming. This was after the village his family had built. Börje's father was a miner. He died in a mining accident when Börje was only 5 years old.

Salming proudly identified as an indigenous Sámi person. He supported the human rights of Indigenous peoples. He often wore a traditional Sami pewter bracelet.

The Salming family lived near an ice skating hall. It was called Matojärvi hall. Börje started skating there when he was 6 years old.

Hockey Career

Swedish Teams

Salming began his hockey career with Kiruna AIF. He played there from 1967 to 1970. Then he joined Brynäs in Sweden's top league. He played for Brynäs from 1970 to 1973.

Brynäs won league championships in 1971 and 1972. Salming was a key player on those winning teams. His success caught the eye of Toronto Maple Leafs scout Gerry McNamara. The Maple Leafs signed Salming as a free agent on 12 May 1973.

After leaving the National Hockey League (NHL), he finished his career with AIK. This was in the Swedish Elite League. One young player he faced at AIK was Niklas Lidstrom. Lidstrom later became a famous defenceman himself. He said Salming encouraged him in his own career.

NHL Superstar

Salming played his first NHL game with the Maple Leafs. It was at the start of the 1973–74 NHL season. They won 7–4 against the Buffalo Sabres. Salming was named the best player of the game. By the end of that season, he had 39 points.

Before Salming, many people in North America thought European players were not tough enough for the NHL. North American hockey was very physical. Fights were common. European hockey focused more on speed and skill. Salming's strong play changed that idea forever. He showed that European players could be tough and skilled.

On 26 November 1986, Salming was injured during a game. A player from the Detroit Red Wings accidentally cut his face with a skate blade. The injury needed more than 200 stitches. He had to have surgery on his face.

On 4 January 1988, Salming made history. He became the first European-trained player to play in 1,000 career NHL games. To celebrate this, his parents and friend Inge Hammarström surprised him. They drove a car onto the ice for him in a special ceremony.

In 1989, after 16 years, Salming left the Toronto Maple Leafs. He signed with the Red Wings. He played one season there before finishing his NHL career.

In the NHL, he played 1148 regular season games. Most of these (1099) were with the Leafs. He also played 81 playoff games. He scored 150 goals and had 637 assists. The other Toronto players called him 'The King'.

International Games

Salming played a lot for the Swedish national team. He played in the 1972 and 1973 World Championships. He won a silver medal and a bronze medal.

He also played in the 1976, 1981, and 1984 Canada Cups. He even played in the 1992 Winter Olympics. During the 1976 Canada Cup in Toronto, Salming received a standing ovation. This happened when Sweden played Team USA.

Salming later said, "I'll never forget our game in Toronto. The fans gave me a standing ovation. I was representing my country, and Canadian fans cheered for me. Sometimes hockey has no country." In 2008, he was named to the IIHF Centennial All-Star Team. This honored his amazing international career.

Life After Hockey

After his playing career, Salming started his own brand. He launched a line of sports underwear with his name on it.

Early in his career, Salming lived in Toronto with his first wife, Margitta. She was a children's clothing designer. They later divorced.

In 2016, he married Pia Salming. Börje had four children. Theresa and Anders were with Margitta. Rasmus and Bianca were with his ex-partner Katarina. His daughter Bianca Salming is a heptathlete, a type of track and field athlete.

Health and Legacy

In February 2022, Salming started having unusual muscle twitches. In July, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This is also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. He shared his diagnosis publicly in August.

On 11 November 2022, Salming traveled to Toronto. He attended the Maple Leafs' Hall of Fame weekend. It was a very emotional moment. His lifelong friend Darryl Sittler helped him wave to the crowd. The next night, the Maple Leafs honored Salming. He dropped the puck in a special pre-game ceremony. The team even started the game with six Swedish players to honor him.

A week later, on 17 November 2022, Salming received the NHL's Honorary Award in Sweden. His wife announced that this would be the family's last public appearance.

Börje Salming passed away on 24 November 2022, at age 71. His death was big news in Canada and Sweden. Many sports teams, athletes, and famous people shared tributes to him. For the rest of the 2022–23 NHL season, the Maple Leafs wore special patches to honor him. The team also made donations to ALS research.

Records and Achievements

Salming's exhibit at the Hockey Hall of Fame

In November 1996, Salming became the first Swedish player to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2017, the NHL named him one of the '100 Greatest Players' in league history.

IIHF Centennial All Star Team Trophy (Team of the Century: Vladislav Tretiak, Börje Salming, Viacheslav Fetisov, Valeri Kharlamov, Sergei Makarov and Wayne Gretzky).

On 4 October 2006, the Leafs honored Salming's number 21. They did this in a ceremony before their first game of the 2006–07 season.

Here are some of his other honors and awards:

• Named to the All-Star Team at the World Ice Hockey Championships in 1973.
• Named to the Swedish All-Star Team in 1973 and 1989.
• Named to the NHL Second All-Star Team five times (1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980).
• Named to the NHL First All-Star Team in 1977.
• Awarded the Viking Award (Best Swede in North America) three times (1976, 1977, 1979).
• Awarded the Molson Cup (Most 3 Star Selections) four times (1974, 1977, 1978, 1980).
• Named to the Canada Cup All-Star Team in 1976.
• Played in the NHL All-Star Game three times (1976, 1977, 1978).
• Awarded the Charlie Conacher Humanitarian Award in 1982.
• Played for Team NHL in the 1979 Challenge Cup.
• Named to the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1998.
• Named to the IIHF Centennial All-Star Team in 2008.
• His number 21 was retired by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
• Named one of the '100 Greatest Players' in NHL history.
• Part of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association All-Century Team.

Records

• Salming holds six career and single-season Toronto Maple Leaf records.
• These include most career points by a defenceman.
• He also holds the record for most career goals by a defenceman.
• He has the most career assists of any player position for the Leafs.
• He holds the record for most assists in a season by a defenceman.
• He also has the best career plus-minus for the Leafs.
• He was the first Swedish (and European) player to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

• Reference:

International

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See also

In Spanish: Börje Salming para niños