Hall of Fame Defenseman NHL
Borje Salming played defense in the NHL for seventeen seasons. He played sixteen of those seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and ended his stellar career in 1989-90 with the Detroit Red Wings. He holds several Maple Leaf records, such as; most career points by a defenseman, most career goals by a defenseman, most assists in a season by a defenseman, most career assists (any position), including best career plus/minus.
Salming was a pioneer becoming one of the first European players to enter the NHL when he made his NHL debut for the Toronto Maple Leafs in a game against the Buffalo Sabres during the 1973-74 season. The Leafs would win that game by a 7-4 margin, with Salming being named the game’s best player. Salming was undrafted; initially, Toronto Maple Leafs’ scout Gerry McNamara was scouting Inge Hammarstrom, but upon witnessing Salming, the Maple Leafs decided to sign Salming as a free agent on May 12, 1973.
When Salming entered the NHL, it was thought that European players were soft and would be intimidated by the rough play. Salming was tested at every turn. He withstood all the punishment that came his way, never backing down from a challenge and disproving the stereotype that he would fold under the physicality of the NHL style of play. On November 26, 1986, in a game between the Leafs and Red Wings in Detroit, in one of the most barbaric incidents of his career, he was knocked down to the ice in front of the Leaf’s goal when Gerard Gallant of the Red Wings, skate accidentally lacerated Salmings face and required over 200 stitches to close the gash.
Salming was named to six consecutive All-Star Teams, and in 1996 his first year of eligibility became the first European to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2017, the NHL named Salming one of the league’s 100 Greatest Players of the first century. After sixteen years with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Salming played his final season in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings.
Retirement
After his playing career Salming embarked upon a line of clothing brands selling sports underwear. In 2007, at the age of 56, he posed nude for 31 paintings by Swedish graffiti artist Johan Wattberg.
Health and Death
In February 2022, Salming began to feel a twitching sensation in his muscles, which caused him to prematurely exit an alumni game in March. By mid-July, he received a diagnosis of ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Salming fell into a severe depression. On November 11, 2022, Salming made the annual trip to Toronto for the Maple Leafs Hall of Fame induction weekend game. With the help of his longtime friend Darryl Sittler, he waved to the crowd. Salming dropped the puck the following night in a pre-game ceremony before a game against the Vancouver Canucks, and the Maple Leafs. Toronto dressed six Swedish players as its opening line in honor of Salming.
On November 17, 2022, Salming was elected to the all-star team of the century and received the NHL’s Honorary Award at a ceremony in Sweden. On November 24, 2022, at the age of 71, Borje Salming passed away.
Honors and awards
In November 1996, Salming became the first Swedish player to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2017, the NHL itself named Salming 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, Salming’s no. 21 was honored by the Leafs in a ceremony, along with Red Kelly’s and Hap Day’s no. 4, before their first game of the 2006–07 season.
- 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 in 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, and 1980.
- Named to the NHL First All-Star Team in 1977.
- The Viking Award (Best Swede in North America) was awarded in 1976, 1977, and 1979.
- The Molson Cup (Most 3-Star Selections) was awarded in 1974, 1977, 1978, and 1980.
- Named to the Canada Cup All-Star Team in 1976.
- Played in the NHL All-Star Game in 1976, 1977, and 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. Recipients: Vladislav Tretiak, Börje Salming, Viacheslav Fetisov, Valeri Kharlamov, Sergei Makarov, and Wayne Gretzky.
- Number (21) Retired by the Toronto Maple Leafs
- ‘100 Greatest Players in NHL history
- Swedish Ice Hockey Association All-Century Team. Hall of Fame Defenseman NHL
Records
- Salming holds six career and single-season Toronto Maple Leaf records, including most career points by a defenceman, most career goals by a defenceman, most career assists (any position), most assists in a season by a defenceman, and best career plus-minus.
- First Swedish (and European) player to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Hall of Fame Defenseman NHL
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1967–68 | Kiruna AIF | SWE II | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1968–69 | Kiruna AIF | SWE II | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1969–70 | Kiruna AIF | SWE II | 16 | 5 | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1970–71 | Brynäs IF | SWE | 14 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 16 |
| 1971–72 | Brynäs IF | SWE | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 30 |
| 1972–73 | Brynäs IF | SWE | 14 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 20 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 24 |
| 1973–74 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 76 | 5 | 34 | 39 | 48 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 1974–75 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 60 | 12 | 25 | 37 | 34 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| 1975–76 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 78 | 16 | 41 | 57 | 70 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 9 |
| 1976–77 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 76 | 12 | 66 | 78 | 46 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 6 |
| 1977–78 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 80 | 16 | 60 | 76 | 70 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 1978–79 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 78 | 17 | 56 | 73 | 76 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 1979–80 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 74 | 19 | 52 | 71 | 94 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 1980–81 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 72 | 5 | 61 | 66 | 154 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 1981–82 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 69 | 12 | 44 | 56 | 170 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1982–83 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 69 | 7 | 38 | 45 | 104 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| 1983–84 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 68 | 5 | 38 | 43 | 192 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1984–85 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 73 | 6 | 33 | 39 | 176 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1985–86 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 41 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 48 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 14 |
| 1986–87 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 56 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 42 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 |
| 1987–88 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 66 | 2 | 24 | 26 | 82 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
| 1988–89 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 63 | 3 | 17 | 20 | 86 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1989–90 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 49 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1990–91 | AIK IF | SEL | 36 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | AIK IF | SEL | 38 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 98 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 1992–93 | AIK IF | SEL | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| SWE totals | 42 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 46 | 39 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 70 | ||
| NHL totals | 1,148 | 150 | 637 | 787 | 1,344 | 81 | 12 | 37 | 49 | 91 | ||
| SEL totals | 80 | 11 | 23 | 34 | 154 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Sweden | EJC | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 1969 | Sweden | EJC | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| 1972 | Sweden | WC | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| 1973 | Sweden | WC | 10 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 4 | |
| 1976 | Sweden | CC | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 | |
| 1981 | Sweden | CC | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | |
| 1989 | Sweden | WC | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | |
| 1991 | Sweden | CC | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| 1992 | Sweden | OG | 8 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | |||
| Senior totals | 46 | 13 | 15 | 28 | 48 |
Keep Your Stick on the Ice.
