HAPPY BIRTHDAY! BORJE SALMING'S 70th on April 17 - How good was he?

[Da Cool Rula]

I'd say he's neck and neck with Horton as best Leaf D man ever............

Oh yeah Horton. Thats a whole different egg there.
I remember waking up getting ready for school and hearing on the radio the day he died in the car crash. Great Defenseman for sure.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

I'd say he's neck and neck with Horton as best Leaf D man ever............

Lol....neck and neck. I laugh because I always remember Horton's neck....wider than his head. That and bear hugs into submission.

 

[justloveleafs]

I'd say he's neck and neck with Horton as best Leaf D man ever............

Kinda interesting that Horton is the only other Leaf that had a body that was almost cyborg in its muscularity. I had a few beers with Brian Glennie, Baun and Bob Nevin. I brought up Timmy, and they all regaled me with stories of how insanely strong he was. And if he blew his temper, everyone on the team would literally run.

They also said, Keon off ice, was, heh, well I should not say. They all loved and respected him but he was no Lady Byng off ice is all I should say lol.

 

[baton elevated]

Salming is one of my all time favorite Leafs. If it wasn't for the fact that Big Bird played on a stacked Hab's team Borje would have won multiple Norris trophies....Fact!
He was ripped off and Robinson was massively overrated. He was good but you switch teams and 21 would be getting the hardware. He was basically Lidstrom before Lidstrom with the exception that Borje was more physical. If I had a choice between the two, easily Borje.

 

[LeafSteel]

I’d put him in our lineup at 70 today.... guy was a machine.

 

[Twowingcantfly]

The greatest D ever to wear the Blue & White. Besides BJ and Kaberle, Berard was one of the best Leafs D ever. BJ is the best ever due to the crap he had to take. Happy Birthday King!!!

 

[saltming]

Full disclosure, I was born in 1990 so he retired around the same time I was born... So I've never got the chance to see him play.

I watched a short video about Salming last night and it got me looking into stats and numbers and it's quite obvious he was our best defenseman of all-time without a doubt.

Here is Borje's Maple Leaf regular season stat line:
GP 1,099 (ranks #2 in Leafs history among Defensemen behind Tim Horton - 1,184)
G 148 (ranks #1 in Leafs history among Defensemen by a large margin, #2 Red Kelly at 119)
A 620 (ranks #1 in Leafs history among Defensemen by a large margin, #2 is Tomas Kaberle at 437)
P 768 (ranks #1 in Leafs history among Defensemen by a large margin, #2 is Tomas Kaberle at 520)
Plus/Minus +150 (ranks #2 in Leafs history among ALL SKATERS behind Tim Horton, +151)
P/GP - 0.70

Other stats ranked among all-time regular season Leafs defensemen:
Powerplay goals - ranks 2nd
Powerplay points - ranks 1st
Shorthanded goals - ranks 1st
Game winning goals - ranks 6th
Shots on goal - ranks 1st

Here is his Maple Leaf playoff stats:
GP - 81 (ranks #4 among defensemen)
G -12 (rank #3 among defensemen)
A - (ranks #2 among defensemen)
P - (ranks #2 among defensemen)


These numbers are unbelievable! On top of these numbers, he was said to be an amazing defensive defenseman as well. Wendell Clarke said he blocked more shots than some goalies but never missed too many games due to injury. Tough as nails considering the gear he must have worn comparable to today.

Just for fun I compared his numbers to Morgan Rielly's current pace since he has about half the games played than Salming did.
GP - 556
G - 58
A - 239
P - 297
P/GP - 0.53

If Rielly finished his career at his current career pace and played the same amount of games as Salming, he would finish with approx 116 goals, 478 assists, 594 points. NOWHERE NEAR Salming's numbers in any category. This isn't meant to bash Rielly, just using him as a comparison to Salming to give myself an idea of just how good Salming must have been! Although it is possible, these numbers may never be reached in my lifetime.

He did all this while taking a beating every night.
When he came here he was "the soft Swede" so players would take runs at him. Salming would absorb their best then score or shut them down.
My picture is from when he took a skate blade in the face and hardly missed a shift

The high priest of the facial cut is Hall of Fame Leaf defenceman Borje Salming. Twenty-five years ago in November, Salming’s face absorbed a skate-blade from Detroit’s Gerard Gallant.
It took nearly 250 stitches to close the wound. The exact tally has never been established since much of the work was done from the inside out and the plastic surgeon was too busy sewing to count.

McGill was the first player to reach for Salming when he came to the bench.

“Our trainer at that time was Gunner (Guy) Kinnear,” McGill remembered, “and in those days trainers didn’t have the kind of medical training they get today. I thought he was going to pass out.”

“Borje’s face looked like a softball,” a shaken Steve Thomas said the net day.
[\QUOTE]

 

[67Cup]

The best Leaf Dman in my 60 plus year following the team. I have huge respect for Tim Horton and can say that I saw him in his prime but I think I would give Salming the edge. Horton played with some of the greatest Leafs in franchise history. Salming played the second half of his career with some sad sack teammates under the comically bad leadership of Harold Ballard. Salming endured being constantly run as a “Chicken Swede” especially by goon teams like the Flyers. He was incredibly fit, could contribute offensively well beyond Horton and was the best stick checker I have ever seen. Think Cobra quick!

A great, great Leaf.

 

[cupcrazyman]

#17 all time time in dman scoring

He was still better than some of the guys that scored more than him.

 

[sittler rules!!!]

It's hard to explain how good Salming was. You could look up the Norris trophy voting numbers I guess, he was a top 5 Dman in the NHL for a number of years along with the big 3 in MTL. The numbers don't tell the full story either, he was tough as nails (though not a "tough guy" if that makes sense), a consummate team player, a super smart player and perhaps the most humble Maple Leaf ever, basically the perfect teammate.

I have followed sports in Toronto for over 50 years and Salming is my all time favourite. Kyle Lowry is second and then third is probably Sittler. They just don't make 'em like that anymore.

Sittler , Salming, Wendell for me

 

[Acetylene]

That was the guy who made me a life-long Leafs fan. Every time I run into him (collided in some stairs once) I get speechless, awkward and blushes. He is my childhood hero, and was a tremendous player.

 

[sittler rules!!!]

Oh hell, the first things that come to mind with Punch are bringing back Carl Brewer and the time he decided to start the game with 5 Dmen on the ice.

People who think OTT has bad ownership should read up on what it meant to be a Leaf fan with Ballard at the helm. Though I guess it's not possible to understand what that was like unless you lived through it.

It's hard enough to explain in words what Salming was like. Ballard though, geez I'm not sure I'd even know where to begin.

Dark days!!

 

[sittler rules!!!]

I love these threads so much. While those were tough years to be a Lesf fan some of the stories memories were amazing. Society and athletes were sooooo different back then. One day if it hasn't been started yet I'd love to start a thread on other memories of the Ballard days. Seems like there are more than a few here who lived it like myself. What an experience!
We endured alot and a cup would have incredible meaning to us.

Ballard was a piece of crap. Remember how heart broken I was when Lanny was traded. The whole Roger Nielsen fiasco. And the the shite show of the 80's. I have to admit, I did a little jig when Ballard died.

 

[sittler rules!!!]

Ugh those dirt bag Flyers!!!! Who can forget those years and having to play in the spectrum. My stomach was in knots each time we played there in the playoffs(ofcourse they was the sign man too with his famous quotes).

The dirty play back then also made me think of a time when Steve"Mental Case"Durbano skated from one end of the ice full steam and speared the other teams best player(cant remember his name off hand) in the stomach. It was brutal.

Not a Hab fan "AT ALL", but in the 1976 Cup final, I wanted Montreal to stomp the Flyers. Got my wish. Think what the game may have evolved into if that Hab team did not stop that run. Many owners, Ballard at the lead had accepted that method. Meathead hockey.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Ballard was a piece of crap. Remember how heart broken I was when Lanny was traded. The whole Roger Nielsen fiasco. And the the shite show of the 80's. I have to admit, I did a little jig when Ballard died.

Yeah you were one of many for sure. I said it years earlier - as long as Ballard was around, there was no light at the end of the tunnel.

Not a Hab fan "AT ALL", but in the 1976 Cup final, I wanted Montreal to stomp the Flyers. Got my wish. Think what the game may have evolved into if that Hab team did not stop that run. Many owners, Ballard at the lead had accepted that method. Meathead hockey.

I could never root for MTL no matter what. I think that's why I was actually a fan of those Flyers, the Bruins before them and NYI a bit later - they were the main obstacles standing between MTL and the cup.

 

[justloveleafs]

Btw, for the Sittler fans(I was and still am a huge fan) he is livew on the Joe Tilley show tomorrow. If you cannot catch it live you can always get it on youtube at any time, which is what I do in a lot of cases. Joe gets incredible athletes on his show, most I watch, but there are some, that are out of my interest zone.

 

[Dayjobdave]

Oh yeah Horton. Thats a whole different egg there.
I remember waking up getting ready for school and hearing on the radio the day he died in the car crash. Great Defenseman for sure.

I remember the same thing. When I was a kid, i had one of those orange heavy practice pucks that my dad got autographed by him. The Leafs would practice at North York Centennial arena sometimes and he was working on the rinks in the winter on occasion.

Yeah, i played with it and lost it. :-(

 

[justashadowof]

It's really difficult to come up with a scenario where I'd root for the Montreal Canadiens to win any playoff series. The goon hockey came from the dilution of the talent in the NHL from the WHA. The philosophy was simple: if you've got marginal talent left to fill in a lineup, you chose the players who could create chaos on the ice. Montreal was one of the few franchises that was still deep at the end of the 1970's thanks to Sam Pollock's hoarding of draft picks. And hence Montreal never had to embrace that nonsense on the ice.

Sorry, I don't agree about Larry Robinson however. He was really good and stayed elite into his mid-30s.

Do not forget that Ballard absolutely loved Borje Salming. There were times when his GM wanted to move Salming but was vetoed.

 

[horner]

He will always be the greatest leaf defenceman in my eyes.
Not only was he great offensively but He was tough as nails
Being the first Swedish player to come over to both America all the abuse that he had to endure.
Borje you are to this day the greatest bleaf defenceman .

Happy happy b-day .

 

[Da Cool Rula]

I remember the same thing. When I was a kid, i had one of those orange heavy practice pucks that my dad got autographed by him. The Leafs would practice at North York Centennial arena sometimes and he was working on the rinks in the winter on occasion.

Yeah, i played with it and lost it. :-(

Lol. Yes those pucks. I believe they were made in Czechoslovakia if I'm not mistaken.
Remember using one at the kew Beach outdoor rink by the lake. So cold. Lose all feeling in your feet.

 

[67Cup]

My favourite Ballard story and it involves Salming... Late in Salming’s career there was speculation that the Leafs would trade Salming to a contender. This would give Salming a shot at the Cup and bring in picks or prospects to kick start a Leafs rebuild. Lots of people thought this was a good idea so, of course, Ballard was against it.

One day Ballard was walking through the office section of MLG and pontificating in a loud voice. “I wouldn’t trade Salming for God!” he shouted.

From the office of one of the assistant coaches came the reply, “What about God and a fourth round draft choice?”

Apparently they fired the assistant shortly thereafter.

 

[67Cup]

Or as Toronto Star columnist Frank Orr wrote one year... Ballard and GM Gerry McNamara were planning to go out for Halloween in a two man horse costume. McNamara would be the front of the horse and Ballard would go as himself.

 

[Da Cool Rula]

Kinda interesting that Horton is the only other Leaf that had a body that was almost cyborg in its muscularity. I had a few beers with Brian Glennie, Baun and Bob Nevin. I brought up Timmy, and they all regaled me with stories of how insanely strong he was. And if he blew his temper, everyone on the team would literally run.

They also said, Keon off ice, was, heh, well I should not say. They all loved and respected him but he was no Lady Byng off ice is all I should say lol.

Brian Glennie nows there's a name. Not a great player but could throw a nasty hip check. Had a Maple Leaf tattooed on his Ass for sure.

Remember when Dan Maloney mugged him? Lifted him and slammed his face over and over into the ice.

Or wide open net and Glennie dove and blocked the shot with his face. Broke up his jaw pretty bad.

 

[Gary Nylund]

My favourite Ballard story and it involves Salming... Late in Salming’s career there was speculation that the Leafs would trade Salming to a contender. This would give Salming a shot at the Cup and bring in picks or prospects to kick start a Leafs rebuild. Lots of people thought this was a good idea so, of course, Ballard was against it.

One day Ballard was walking through the office section of MLG and pontificating in a loud voice. “I wouldn’t trade Salming for God!” he shouted.

From the office of one of the assistant coaches came the reply, “What about God and a fourth round draft choice?”

Apparently they fired the assistant shortly thereafter.

Or as Toronto Star columnist Frank Orr wrote one year... Ballard and GM Gerry McNamara were planning to go out for Halloween in a two man horse costume. McNamara would be the front of the horse and Ballard would go as himself.

So awesome. Especially that first story!

 

[cupcrazyman]

The best Leaf Defence man ever and one of the best all time Dmen ever .

Salming had to compete against these other dmen

Orr
Potvin
Robinson
Lapointe
Park
Savard
Bourque & the other 80's dmen

6 X All Star Team selctions ( Not talking about the all star game)

1st Team- 1X
2nd Team-5X