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 famous Swedish former professional ice hockey player. He spent most of his career in the National Hockey League (NHL) and retired in 2009.

Mats was the very first player picked in the 1989 NHL Draft. He played his first four seasons with the Quebec Nordiques. In 1994, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he played for most of his career. He was the team's captain for 11 seasons. Mats was the longest-serving non-North American captain in NHL history. He finished his career playing for the Vancouver Canucks in the 2008–09 season.

Mats Sundin was an amazing scorer. He averaged more than a point per game throughout his NHL career. He is the Maple Leafs' all-time leader in goals (420) and points (987). On 14 October 2006, he became the first Swedish player to score 500 goals.

He also won three gold medals with Sweden at the World Championships. He was the team 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 Swede to receive this honor. In 2017, he was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' of all time.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting with the Quebec Nordiques

Mats Sundin was the first European-born player ever picked first overall in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. He was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques. Before joining the NHL, he played for Nacka HK and Djurgårdens IF in Sweden. He even helped Djurgårdens IF win the Swedish league championship.

Mats started his NHL journey with Quebec in the 1990–91 season. He scored his first NHL goal in his very first game! In his third season, he had an amazing 114 points, making him one of the best young players in the league. He also had a 30-game point streak, which is one of the longest in NHL history.

Becoming a Toronto Maple Leaf

The Toronto Maple Leafs got Sundin in a big trade on 28 June 1994. Because of a lockout, his debut with the Leafs was delayed. He played in Sweden for a bit before joining the team. When he finally played for Toronto, he quickly became their top scorer.

Sundin playing for 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 season in Toronto. He became the 16th Maple Leafs captain and the first European captain in the team's history.

Mats led the Maple Leafs to the 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs and the Eastern Conference Finals. They lost in five games, but Sundin had a career-high 16 points in the playoffs. He also helped the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals again in 2001–02.

In 2003–04, Mats had a moment that caused some talk. He accidentally threw his broken stick into the crowd during a game. The NHL gave him a one-game suspension for it. After the game, he apologized and gave a new, signed stick to the fan who caught the broken one.

The next season was canceled due to an NHL lockout. When play resumed, Mats got hit in the face with a puck in the first game. He broke a bone near his eye but returned after a month. He still led the team in scoring with 78 points that season.

Reaching Milestones with the Leafs

At the start of the 2006–07 season, Mats Sundin scored his 500th career goal. He did it with a hat-trick against the Calgary Flames. His 500th goal was scored in overtime, winning the game for the Leafs! 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 the 2007–08 season, Mats broke several team records. He tied and then broke Darryl Sittler's record for most goals with the Maple Leafs. He also broke Sittler's record for all-time points as a Maple Leaf. He became the first player to score 400 goals as a Leaf.

Towards the end of that season, the Maple Leafs wanted Mats to agree to be traded. This would have helped the team get younger players for the future. But Mats said no. He wanted to win the Stanley Cup as a full-time player, not just a "rental" for a few months. He stayed with the team and was their top scorer for the 12th time in 13 years.

Time with the Vancouver Canucks

Sundin with the Vancouver Canucks in February 2009.

Mats became a free agent in 2008. The Vancouver Canucks offered him a big contract. Many businesses in Vancouver even offered him special Swedish-themed gifts to try and get him to sign! After thinking about retiring, he decided to play again. On 18 December 2008, he signed a one-year contract with the Canucks. 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 7 January 2009. He scored his first goal with them a few games later. On 21 February 2009, he returned to Toronto to play against his old team, the Maple Leafs. The fans gave him a huge standing ovation, and he scored the winning goal in a shootout against them!

He played 41 games for the Canucks, scoring 28 points. In the 2009 playoffs, he played well, scoring 8 points in 8 games. The Canucks were eliminated in the second round.

Retirement from Hockey

On 30 September 2009, Mats Sundin officially announced his retirement from ice hockey at a press conference in Stockholm, Sweden.

The Toronto Maple Leafs honored him on 29 October 2011. His number 13 jersey was officially honored by the team on 11 February 2012.

On 12 November 2012, Mats Sundin was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He joined other hockey legends like Joe Sakic and Pavel Bure. In 2013, he was also inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame.

In 2015, a statue of Mats Sundin was added to "Legends Row" outside the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. This statue honors 12 of the best players in the Maple Leafs' history. On 15 October 2016, his number 13 jersey was officially retired by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Playing for Sweden

Mats Sundin proudly represented 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.

He won three World Championships gold medals with Sweden in 1991, 1992, and 1998. Mats finally won an Olympic gold medal with Sweden at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. He captained the team to a 3–2 victory over Finland in the final game.

His "fighting face" during a World Championship game where Sweden came back from a 5–1 deficit to win 6–5 against Finland is very famous.

Mats Sundin played for Sweden in these major tournaments:

• 1990 World Junior Championships (silver medal)
• 1991 World Championships (gold medal)
• 1991 Canada Cup
• 1992 World Championships (gold medal)
• 1994 World Championships (bronze medal)
• 1996 World Cup of Hockey
• 1998 World Championships (gold medal)
• 1998 Winter Olympics
• 2001 World Championships
• 2002 Winter Olympics
• 2003 World Championships (silver medal)
• 2004 World Cup of Hockey
• 2006 Winter Olympics (gold medal)

Personal Life

Mats Sundin is a private person, but he was very famous in Toronto. He rarely talked about his personal life or said anything bad about his teammates.

In 2008, Mats announced that he was engaged to Josephine Johansson. They had been dating for about a year. They got married on 29 August 2009, with over 200 guests, including many of his teammates. 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.

Amazing Records and Achievements

NHL Records

• Tied for 23rd in career goals (564).
• 35th in career assists (785).
• 28th all-time in career points (1,349).
• First European-born player 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).
• Tied for most assists in a period (3).

Awards and Honors

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

• Swedish Champion in 1990.
• First European-born player drafted first overall in the NHL (1989).
• Won the Viking Award (best Swedish player in North America) four times.
• Was the top scorer at the World Championships in 1991 and 1994.
• Named to the World Championships All-Star Team twice.
• Named Best Forward at the World Championships twice.
• Played in nine NHL All-Star Games.
• Named to the NHL Second All-Star Team twice.
• Captained the Swedish national team to a gold medal at the 2006 Olympics.
• Scored his 500th goal on 14 October 2006, with a short-handed, hat trick, overtime winner.
• Reached 1,300 points on 7 February 2008.
• Won 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
• List of players with five or more goals in an NHL game