What Happened To Borje Salming: Borje Salming was a Swedish professional ice hockey defenseman, and you can learn more about him here. Borje Salming, a great NHL defenseman and a pioneer for European-born players in North America, died after a nearly two-year battle with ALS. He was 71 years old at the time.
Who is Borje Salming?
Borje Salming’s real name is Anders. Börje Salming was an ice hockey defenseman who played with Brynas IF, the Detroit Red Wings, and AIK over a 23-year career. Borje Salming was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame after spending 16 seasons from 1973 to 1989. Salming was one of the European players to make an effect in the National Hockey League. He is widely regarded as a national hero in his native Sweden and a trailblazer for European athletics. He was a standout defenseman of his period, having been nominated to six consecutive NHL All-Star teams. He is known for his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who retired his number 21 in 2016.
Tributes To Borje Salming:
The Toronto Maple Leafs, with whom Salming spent most of his career, announced his death on Thursday. “The Toronto Maple Leafs mourn the loss of Börje Salming,” Leafs President and Alternate Governor Brendan Shanahan said. “Börje was a game pioneer and an icon known for his unbreakable spirit and unrivalled tenacity. He helped to pave the way for Europeans in the NHL and established himself via his on-ice performance and community initiatives. Borje joined the Maple Leafs 50 years ago and will be remembered as a member of our hockey family throughout the remainder of his life. We express our deepest condolences to his wife, Pia, children Theresa, Anders, Rasmus, Bianca, Lisa, Sara, and his brother Stieg.”
Borje Salming Struggles With the Health Issues:
Swedish-born Oliver Ekman-Larsson and William Nylander performed the ceremonial puck drop. At the same time, Leaf’s coach Sheldon Keefe iced a starting lineup that included Toronto’s Swedish-born players. Salming received recognition for the second time in two nights. The night before, during the annual Hall of Fame game between Toronto and Pittsburgh, Salming was assisted to the ice by good friend and former teammate Darryl Sittler, who burst into tears as he watched Salming being cheered on by the crowd. Salming met with Sittler in September and indicated he wanted to be in Toronto for this weekend’s ceremony, including three Swedish-born inductees: Henrik and Daniel Sedin of Vancouver and Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa.
How Did Borje Salming Die?
Salming remained an active member of the hockey community after retiring and learning of his ALS diagnosis. ALS is a degenerative neurological system illness that affects the brain and spinal cord cells, resulting in a loss of muscle control. At the same time, the disease damaged his body. He was resolved to attend the Hall of Fame weekend earlier this month in Toronto, where three more Swedish players would be enshrined.
Read Also – 20-Year-Old Hiker Emily Sotelo Missing and Found Dead in New Hampshire Mountains