Mats Sundin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mats Sundin
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2012
Sundin in 2015
Born	(1971-02-13) 13 February 1971 (age 54) Bromma, Sweden
Height	6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
Weight	240 lb (109 kg; 17 st 2 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Right
Played for	Djurgårdens IF Quebec Nordiques Toronto Maple Leafs Vancouver Canucks
National team	Sweden
NHL Draft	1st overall, 1989 Quebec Nordiques
Playing career	1989–2009
Medal record Representing  Sweden Men's ice hockey Winter Olympics Gold 2006 Turin World Championships Gold 1991 Finland Gold 1992 Czechoslovakia Gold 1998 Switzerland Silver 1990 Switzerland Silver 2003 Finland Bronze 1994 Italy Bronze 2001 Germany

Mats Johan Sundin (born 13 February 1971) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player. He played most of his career in the National Hockey League (NHL). He retired from playing in 2009.

Mats was the very first player picked in the 1989 NHL Draft. He started his NHL career with the Quebec Nordiques. Later, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1994. He played for the Maple Leafs for many years, serving as their team captain for 11 seasons. He was the longest-serving non-North American captain in NHL history. Mats finished his career playing for the Vancouver Canucks in the 2008–09 season.

Mats Sundin was a very consistent player. He scored at least 70 points in almost every season he played. He also led the Maple Leafs in points for most of his time there. In 2006, he became the first Swedish player to score 500 goals in the NHL. He holds the Maple Leafs' all-time records for goals (420) and points (987). He averaged more than one point per game throughout his NHL career.

Mats also had a great international career playing for Sweden. He won three gold medals at the World Championships. He was also the captain when Sweden won the gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.

Mats Sundin was chosen for the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012. He was the second Swedish player to receive this honor. He was also inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2017, he was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

Playing in the NHL

Starting with the Quebec Nordiques

Mats Sundin was the first player chosen in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques. This was a big moment because he was the first European player ever picked first overall in the NHL. Before joining the NHL, Mats played in Sweden for Nacka HK and then for Djurgårdens IF. He helped Djurgårdens IF win the Swedish league championship.

Mats started playing in the NHL for Quebec in the 1990–91 season. He scored his first NHL goal in his very first game on October 4, 1990. In his third season, 1992–93, he had an amazing 114 points, showing he was one of the best young players in the league. He even had a 30-game streak where he scored at least one point in each game. After one more season with the Nordiques, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1994.

Becoming a Toronto Maple Leaf

The Toronto Maple Leafs got Mats Sundin in a trade on June 28, 1994. Because of a player lockout, Mats went back to Sweden to play for Djurgårdens IF for a short time. When the NHL season started, he quickly became a key player for the Leafs, leading them in scoring.

Sundin with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1997–98 season.

In his third season with the Maple Leafs, Mats had 41 goals and 94 points. This was his best scoring season while playing for Toronto. When the team captain, Doug Gilmour, left, Mats was named the new captain. He became the 16th captain for the Maple Leafs and the first European captain in the team's history.

In 1998–99, Mats led the Maple Leafs to the 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs. They made it all the way to the Conference Finals but lost. Mats had 16 points in 17 playoff games that year, which was his best playoff performance. In 2002, Mats signed a new six-year contract with Toronto. He helped the Maple Leafs reach the Eastern Conference Finals again in 2001–02, but they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes.

In the 2002–03 season, another player, Alexander Mogilny, scored more points than Mats for the first time in eight years. However, Mats became the top scorer again the next season when Mogilny was injured.

During the 2003–04 season, Mats had a moment that caused some talk. He accidentally threw his broken stick into the crowd during a game. The NHL decided this was careless and suspended him for one game. After the game, he gave a new, signed stick to the fan who caught the broken one as an apology.

The next season, the NHL had a lockout, so Mats did not play. When hockey returned in 2005–06, Mats was injured in the first game when a puck hit his face. He returned after a month and still led the team in scoring. However, the Maple Leafs missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years.

In the 2006–07 season, Mats reached a big milestone. On October 14, 2006, he scored his 500th NHL goal. He did it in an amazing way, scoring three goals in one game (a hat-trick), with the 500th goal being the winning goal in overtime. Later that season, he reached 900 points as a Maple Leaf.

Sundin with the Maple Leafs during the 2007–08 season, his last with the team.

In his last season with the Maple Leafs, 2007–08, Mats broke several team records. He tied and then broke Darryl Sittler's record for most goals with the club. He also broke Sittler's record for most points as a Maple Leaf. He became the first player to score 400 goals as a Leaf.

As the season ended, the Maple Leafs were not going to make the playoffs. The team wanted Mats to agree to be traded so they could get younger players. But Mats said he would not waive his no-trade clause. He wanted to win the Stanley Cup as part of a team he played with for a whole season. He stayed with the Leafs and was their top scorer for the 12th time in 13 years.

Joining the Vancouver Canucks

Sundin with the Vancouver Canucks in February 2009, a month after making his debut with the team.

Mats Sundin became a free agent on July 1, 2008. The Vancouver Canucks offered him a large contract. Many businesses in Vancouver even offered him special Swedish-themed gifts to try and get him to sign. Other teams also made offers, but Mats waited. On December 18, 2008, the Canucks announced that Mats had signed a one-year contract with them. He even took a pay cut to help the team have more money to sign other players.

Mats played his first game for the Canucks on January 7, 2009. He scored his first goal with the team a few games later. On February 21, 2009, Mats returned to Toronto to play against the Maple Leafs. It was a very emotional night. The Maple Leafs showed a video tribute to him, and the fans gave him a long standing ovation. Mats even scored the winning goal in a shootout against his old team.

Mats had 28 points in 41 games during the regular season with the Canucks. However, he played very well in the 2009 playoffs. He had 8 points in 8 games before the Canucks were eliminated.

Retirement from Hockey

On September 30, 2009, Mats Sundin announced that he was retiring from professional hockey. He held a press conference in Stockholm, Sweden.

More than two years after he retired, on October 29, 2011, the Toronto Maple Leafs honored Mats at a home game. His number 13 jersey was honored in a special ceremony on February 11, 2012.

On November 12, 2012, Mats Sundin was officially inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In November 2013, he was also inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame.

On September 10, 2015, it was announced that a statue of Mats Sundin would be added to "Legends Row" outside the Scotiabank Arena (formerly Air Canada Centre). This row features statues of the best players in the Maple Leafs' history.

On October 15, 2016, Mats Sundin's number 13 jersey was officially retired by the Toronto Maple Leafs. This happened in a ceremony before their first home game of their 100th season. A few months later, the NHL named Mats one of the 100 greatest players in league history.

Sundin is immortalized with a statue at Legends Row in front of Scotiabank Arena.

Playing for Sweden

Mats Sundin played for Sweden in many international competitions. These included the World Cup and the Winter Olympics. He was the captain of the Swedish national team for almost ten years. Mats was known as one of the top players in these international tournaments.

He won three IIHF World Championships gold medals with Sweden in 1991, 1992, and 1998. Mats finally won an Olympic gold medal with Sweden in 2006 in Turin.

A famous picture shows his determined face when Sweden came back from being down 5–1 to win 6–5 against Finland in a World Championship game. Mats was the captain of the Swedish team that won the gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics, beating Finland 3–2 in the final game.

Mats Sundin played for Sweden in these major events:

• 1990 World Junior Championships (silver medal)
• 1991 Canada Cup
• 1991 World Championships (gold medal)
• 1992 World Championships (gold medal)
• 1994 World Championships (bronze medal)
• 1996 World Cup of Hockey
• 1998 World Championships (gold medal)
• 1998 Winter Olympics
• 2002 Winter Olympics
• 2003 World Championships (silver medal)
• 2004 World Cup of Hockey
• 2006 Winter Olympics (gold medal)

Personal Life

Mats Sundin was a very private person, even though he played in Toronto, a city with a lot of hockey media attention. He rarely talked about his personal life or said anything negative about his teammates.

In 2008, Mats announced that he was engaged to Josephine Johansson. They had been dating for about a year. On August 29, 2009, Mats married Josephine Johansson. Many of his current and former teammates attended the wedding. Mats and Josephine have a daughter named Bonnie, and two sons, Nathanael and Julian.

Mats was also a Goodwill Ambassador for the Adopt-A-Minefield Campaign. This group works to raise money and awareness to help end the problems caused by landmines.

Records and Achievements

NHL Records

• Tied for 23rd in career goals (564).
• 28th all-time in career points (1,349).
• First European player ever drafted first overall in the NHL Entry Draft (1989).
• Only Swedish player to score 500 goals (564).
• Most career points and goals by a Swedish hockey player.
• Tied for the fastest overtime goal (6 seconds).
• First Swedish player to reach 1,000 points.
• One of only four players to score at least 20 goals in each of his first 17 NHL seasons.

Toronto Maple Leafs Records

• Most goals (420).
• Most assists by a forward (567).
• Most points (987).

Awards and Achievements

• Swedish Champion in 1990.
• First European-born player drafted first overall in the NHL (1989).
• Played in nine NHL All-Star Games.
• Achieved 500 goals on October 14, 2006, with a hat trick and overtime winning goal.
• Achieved 1,300 points on February 7, 2008.
• Awarded the "Mark Messier Leadership Award" in 2008.
• Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.
• Inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2013.
• His number 13 jersey was retired by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
• Named one of the 100 Greatest Players in NHL history.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

International Play Statistics

See also

• List of Swedes in sports
• List of NHL players with 500 goals
• List of NHL players with 1000 points
• List of NHL players with 1000 games played
• List of NHL players with 100 point seasons
• List of NHL statistical leaders