Leafs legend Borje Salming has some words of advice for young Rasmus Sandin
Leafs legend Borje Salming spent 16 of his 17 NHL seasons as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was a staple on the Leafs' blueline from 1973-1989 and still remains the Leafs' all-time scoring leader among defenseman by a pretty significant margin, leading all Leafs blueliners in goals (148), assists (620) and points (768).
Salming, who was dealt a blow of epic proportions when he was diagnosed with ALS earlier this year, is expected to appear at both tonight's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins and tomorrow's game against the Vancouver Canucks to be honoured during the pre-game ceremonies.
Though his condition is deteriorating pretty rapidly, Salming was well enough to travel and would not have missed this opportunity for the world. One (well, two) last curtain calls in Toronto in front of the fans who have loved him throughout his Hall-of-Fame career and long after.
With Salming having touched down in Toronto earlier this week, he has had some time to be around the team. For 22-year-old Rasmus Sandin, it's been a dream come true to be around an inspiration such as Salming. The young blueliner told the media on Friday that he views Salming as an icon.
Sandin had met Salming before. In fact, the two, along with Rasmus' father, Patric, went out for lunch together back in Stockholm, Sweden. Patric Sandin told the media that Salming was his son's idol growing up. He even shared a photo of the meeting on social media.
For Salming, he did have some words of wisdom to impart upon Sandin. It wasn't regarding his play with or without the puck. It wasn't about being physical or anticipating the play. No - his message was more about what goes on behind the scenes.
-Salming to Sandin about playing in Canada's hockey mecca
The Toronto media has always been a very strong presence, but fortunately for Salming, he never had to play the game in the age of the internet. Sandin is not so lucky. He's susceptible to criticism before, during and after every game - and even on days off. Tough gig, playing in Toronto, but the fans have made it worth it in both cases I'm sure.
Both Friday and Saturday's games are set to begin at 7pm, but puck drop will be delayed for the pair of ceremonies to honour Salming before each game.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 11 | 210 ANSWERS Leafs legend Borje Salming has some words of advice for young Rasmus Sandin How many points will Rasmus Sandin finish this season with? | ||
| 10-20 | 51 | 24.3 % |
| 21-30 | 98 | 46.7 % |
| 31-40 | 32 | 15.2 % |
| More than 40 | 29 | 13.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
