The Toronto Maple Leafs paid a heartfelt tribute to one of their all-time greats on Saturday night — both with an emotional video and their starting lineup.
Borje Salming, the Swedish great who broke barriers for Europeans and Swedes alike in the NHL back in the 1970s, announced he had been diagnosed with ALS this summer — and the disease has progressed to the point where he can no longer speak.
Despite his battle with the disease, Salming made the trip to Toronto for the Hockey Hall of Fame induction this weekend, receiving an emotional standing ovation Friday night during the Maple Leafs-Pittsburgh Penguins Hall of Fame game.
And the Maple Leafs took that one step further on Saturday before a game against the Vancouver Canucks.
First, the Maple Leafs played a video tribute on the Scotiabank Arena jumbotron highlighting his impact over his 16 seasons wearing the blue and white, with Salming watching from the ice and a tearful former Maple Leafs captain Darryl Sittler taking it in from a suite.
Then Salming dropped the puck for a ceremonial faceoff, with Swedes William Nylander (Toronto) and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Vancouver) taking part.
And to take it even further, the Maple Leafs iced an entirely Swedish starting lineup for the first time in franchise history.
Erik Kallgren started in goal despite expectations Keith Petruzelli might make his NHL debut, Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin manned the blue line, and Nylander, Pierre Engvall and Calle Jarnkrok formed the forwards trio.
Fans and media across the hockey world took in the heartfelt moment:
