Borje Salming

Anders Borje Salming was born on April 17, 1951 in Kiruna, a small coal mining town near the Artic Circle in Sweden. The 6'1" defenseman was spotted by Maple Leafs scout Gerry McNamara in 1973 began the 1973-74 NHL in Toronto with the blue and white. At the end of his first season, the Swedish rookie had racked up 39 points. He was a key component of the Leafs blue line over the 1970s and 1980s ending up also being one of the more popular players in Toronto. Nicknamed the "King", Salming helped eradicate the common misnomer that European players could not play the tough brand of NHL hockey.

He is best known for his end of end rushes and hard wrist shot which saw him score 150 goals during his NHL career. Salming played 16 of his 17 NHL seasons with the Maple Leafs, playing the 1989-90 season with the Detroit Red Wings. After retiring from the NHL, he played another three years with the AIK Solna team in the Swedish Elite League.

Borje Salming's Career Statistics

Year     Team                  GP   G   A   Pts   Pim
1956-57  Toronto Maple Leafs   65  11  11    22    32
1957-58  Toronto Maple Leafs   70  14  17    31    48
1958-59  Toronto Maple Leafs   70  23  14    37    53
1959-60  Toronto Maple Leafs   70  24  28    52    81
1960-61  Toronto Maple Leafs   40  11  18    29    41
1961-62  Toronto Maple Leafs   70  18  21    39    98
1962-63  Toronto Maple Leafs   70  19  25    44    49
1963-64  Toronto Maple Leafs   70  18  30    48    73
1964-65  Toronto Maple Leafs   65  19  20    39    46
1965-66  Toronto Maple Leafs   70  28  28    56    51
1966-67  Toronto Maple Leafs   67  17  28    45    28
1967-68  Toronto Maple Leafs   74  20  30    50    40
1968-69  Toronto Maple Leafs   72  11  23    34    20
1969-70  Toronto Maple Leafs   74  18  19    37    31
1970-71  Los-Angeles Kings     59  17  26    43    53
1971-72  Los-Angeles Kings     73  13  24    37    48
Career Totals                1079 281 362   643   792

Borje Salming Pictures

Autographed Borje Salming Memorabilia and Collectibles