Borje Salming Added To Maple Leafs Legends Row

Nov 12, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri (43) and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov (47) during the player introductions against the Boston Bruins at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

The Toronto Maple Leafs will induct Borje Salming into Legends Row next fall

Borje Salming was one of the league’s first foreign players to truly be accepted into the game.

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In a recent anecdote told about Salming’s relationship with Peter Forsberg, the younger skater admitted that he always admired the way that Salming paved the way for European skaters in the league; Forsberg insisted that Salming took abuse in the NHL so that other European players wouldn’t have to in the future.

Beyond paving the road for the slew of Swiss, Swedish, German, Danish, and Finnish players in the league today, though, Salming was once a pretty good defenseman — and in honor of both his revolutionary status and exceptional sixteen seasons with the Leafs, Toronto has announced that he will be added to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Legends Row.

The unveiling of his statue will take place in September of 2015, when Salming will get to see himself cast alongside Johnny Bower, Ted Kennedy, and Darryl Sittler.

"“Wearing the Toronto Maple Leaf sweater for 16 seasons was a great honour, but to be recognized among some of the top players with a statue on Legends Row, especially with my teammate Darryl Sittler, is something I couldn’t have imagined,” Salming said. “I always look back on my time in Toronto with fondness and enjoy the chance to visit every chance I get.”"

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