Former Toronto Maple Leafs star player Borje Salming has lost his battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease.
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That’s what the Maple Leafs announced on Thursday. Salming, 71, had recently lost his ability to speak due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which he had suffered from for some years. He had also appeared weakened a little over two weeks ago when he was honored on the ice at Scotiabank Arena.
The Swede is recognized as one of the first Europeans to make an impact in the National Hockey League (NHL). He joined the Leafs in 1973, nearly 50 years ago, and stayed there until 1989.
“Borje was a gaming pioneer and icon with unbreakable morale and unquestionable resilience. He helped open the door to the NHL for Europeans and stood out for his play on the ice and his contributions to the community,” Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said in a statement.
Salming was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996 and was named one of the 100 greatest players in history in 2017. His number 21 was also retired in 2016.
During his 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), he totaled 150 goals and 787 points in 1,148 games. He played his last season in North America with the Detroit Red Wings in 1989-90.