NHL Alumni Association delivers massive showing of love and respect to the late Borje Salming
Many in Leafs Nation are still in mourning the tragic passing of the legendary Börje Salming. A trailblazer in the NHL, Salming led the European invasion of the NHL, proving unequivocally that European players can be and are just as tough as their Canadian counterparts. To this day, Salming holds the Leafs' franchise records for goals and points by a defenseman, even though he was a target each and every night for the opposition's roughest players.
In February of 2022, the world learned that the man known in Toronto as "The King" had been diagnosed with ALS. It's a horrific disease that affects the nervous system, slowly taking away one's ability to move, speak, eat and eventually, breathe. On November 24, 2022, just days after visiting Toronto for a weekend of heartfelt tributes and one last goodbye to the city and its fans, Salming's family announced his passing.
The Leafs held a special game night for Salming, auctioning off jerseys, pucks and equipment from the game, they also donated all proceeds from sales of their Reverse Retro 2.0 jerseys and Börje shoulder patches. In all, they raised over $284k. There were also several fan led fundraisers, including This one, selling Börje T-shirts with proceeds still going to ALS Canada.
Today, the NHL Alumni Association and the NHLPA announced a massive $100,000 joint donation to the Börje Salming ALS foundation. Salming started the foundation after his diagnosis.
One can only hope that with Salming bringing so much awareness to ALS initiatives and so much being donated towards them in his name, that a cure, or at least treatment options can be found. Salming's hockey career opened the door for thousands of Europeans to play in the NHL. Here's hoping that in his passing, he accomplishes something even greater: opening the door for thousands, if not millions, to live with, and recover from ALS.
