Borje Salming tribute in Toronto

DourDoerr

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Oct 15, 2004
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Borje Salming has been diagnosed with ALS and came back to Toronto to drop a ceremonial puck Saturday night. My favorite player in the late 70's even though I rarely got to see him play (mostly Bruins games). Seemed really cool and stylish backed by an iron will. Great-skating Swedish D who fought back against the "soft euro" stereotype in the Broad St. Bullies era. There's a video embedded in the article and it's incredibly emotional. Borje can't speak anymore but his reaction to the crowd's love is devastating.

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2022/11/12/maple-leafs-borje-salming-tribute-video/

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ColdSoxPack

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Jul 14, 2005
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I saw him on the ice prior to Saturdays game on HNIC. I did not know about his condition before seeing that. Was it last night that Jack Edwards said Borje Salming was dying of ALS? He should have said Borje "suffers from it'. Salming did fight back against the Don Cherry types who called the Euros soft.
 

Mighty Joe Young

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Yep .. that was incredibly emotional to watch that. To see his face at the end with the waves of emotion overcoming him. Chilling

He was one of my favourite Leafs from that 70s team. The abuse he endured - from other teams and the media (Chicken Swedes) is hard to understand. He was a pioneer , and a great, great player. So happy for him to have had this tiny moment.

They had their moments during their battles with the hated Flyers, the Rangers and the Islanders .. and ultimately the Habs ..
 

Boston Brawler

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Great video and tribute. Thanks for sharing.

Very cool that the Leafs started an all Swede lineup as well.
 

DourDoerr

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You're welcome - just doing my part. There was an image in that video where Borje's face was Frankensteined - huge stitches down the right side. Hadn't seen that before (thankfully) and...well, Cherry was dead wrong. I don't know how you get any tougher.

Agreed on the all-Swede lineup. Have a soft spot for those 70's Toronto teams as well and it's great to see the current management there crossed the t's and dotted the i's regarding that special day. And the Leafs won. That said, let's hope the B's kick their ass going forward.
 

Deathofthebambino

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Apr 12, 2005
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You're welcome - just doing my part. There was an image in that video where Borje's face was Frankensteined - huge stitches down the right side. Hadn't seen that before (thankfully) and...well, Cherry was dead wrong. I don't know how you get any tougher.

Agreed on the all-Swede lineup. Have a soft spot for those 70's Toronto teams as well and it's great to see the current management there crossed the t's and dotted the i's regarding that special day. And the Leafs won. That said, let's hope the B's kick their ass going forward.
Man, that just crushed me. One of my close friends was diagnosed with ALS earlier this year at 58 years old. Former Marine, 11 time club champ on my golf club (5 Club, and 6 Senior Club Champs), and still a 1 handicap. I spent time with him in Ireland this year, and Florida just last week playing golf. He retired a month ago from a long career at Morgan Stanley, and bought himself a massive RV (think Madden Cruiser) and he and his wife, never had kids, are leaving on Friday for a 4 month excursion/bucket list trip around the country.

His symptoms aren't terrible yet, has trouble opening water bottles, etc. and some spasms in his legs, but he's one of the strongest people I've ever known, proud as hell, and the thought of seeing him go through this over the next 12 months or so is gutting. Myself and about 25 other guys are meeting him at the Club tonight, as a surprise send off, and there is talk about naming the Club Championship trophy after him. It'll be emotional and raw and the only hope is that by April of next year, he's still in good enough shape to still play with us.

Anyway, thanks for posting that. As hard as it is to watch, any publicity for this insidious fucking disease is worth it, in whatever form it takes, and Borje Salming was a fucking warrior.
 

FullaPoloni

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Jul 15, 2005
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God, I hated Salming so much when I was a kid. I hated him as only a fanboy child can hate someone who is THAT good against your chosen team. Now, I consider him to be one of the 5 best defensemen that I've ever seen play. I was used to plodding hockey (aside from Orr and a few others) and then saw Salming and fellow Swede Inge Hammarstrom flying around. It was a whole new world. And, yes, Don Cherry was dead wrong about him and many other things. My best to him, his family, and all those in his inner circle