Mats Sundin led a quiet, reserved life in the hockey capital of the world as a member of the Maple Leafs. Sundin always seemed to answer a reporter's question with class and rarely showed any negative emotion.
Is Sundin a Future Hall-of-Famer?
Without question, yes.
The 38-year-old Sundin is a legend back home in his native Sweden, having captained the national team to its second hockey gold medal ever (first in 12 years) at the 2006 Turin Olympics.
Sundin remains one of five players in NHL history to score 500 goals yet never play in a Stanley Cup Final. A nine-time All-Star, Sundin amassed 1,349 points (564 goals, 785 assists) in 1,346 games during his 18-year career, over a point-per-game and good for 25th overall in NHL history.
Sundin became the first European ever-drafted first overall after being selected by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1989 Entry Draft. In his 1990-1991 rookie season, Sundin tallied 59 points (23 goals, 36 assists) in 80 games.
On June 28, 1994, Toronto acquired Sundin, Garth Butcher, Todd Warriner in a trade with the Quebec Nordiques. Quebec received Wendel Clark, Sylvain Lefebvre, Landon Wilson and the teams swapped first-round draft picks.
Was Sundin Ever a Traitor to the Maple Leafs?
Simple answer. No.
Even if it wasn't a fairytale ending in Toronto, where some fans around the city painted Sundin as a villain and tried throwing him under the bus for rejecting to waive his no-trade clause, who could blame him? Sundin was where he always wanted to be (in Toronto). He has been arguably one of T.O.'s most consistent players in their rich history with only one major blemish on his resume, a Stanley Cup. Sundin had accomplished it all but that one ring continually eluded him, having never made it to the Stanley Cup Final.
The majority of the blame should rest on the organization's shoulders, not Sundin's, for failing to put together a true Stanley Cup contender. Expectations are always sky high in Toronto and rightfully so, but hype doesn't always guarantee good results.
One glance at the wingers Sundin had flanking him over the years (Jonas Hoglund, Sergei Berezin, Nik Antropov among many others) and it's almost shocking he was able to put up the numbers he did. Yet Sundin always made the most of his opportunities, consistently reaching 70-plus points a year. Lack of effort was never an issue and not once did he ever complain (publicly, at least).
Sundin always had Toronto at heart and should be remembered as one of the greatest Leafs ever.
Short-Lived Vancouver Canucks Career
Sundin signed a free agent contract with the Vancouver Canucks in 2008 and made his official Canucks debut on January 7, 2009 in a 4-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. He picked up his first goal, two games later against the San Jose Sharks. Sundin showed clear signs of rust early on but picked up his play down the stretch and into the playoffs, finishing the regular season with 28 points (9 goals, 19 assists) in 41 games.
His long-awaited trip to Toronto came on February 7 and ended in fitting fashion. Sundin, known for his feared wrist scorer and clutch scoring during his career, scored the shootout winner to lead Vancouver to a 3-2 victory over his former team of 13 years.
Vancouver advanced to the second round of the 2009 playoffs before being eliminated in six games by the Chicago Blackhawks. Sundin missed two games with an apparent hip injury but still managed to post eight points in eight games.
A Fond Farewell
Sundin married his girlfriend in August, leading to speculation that his storied NHL career may, very well, be over.
It's only a matter of time before No. 13 gets raised to the rafters at the Air Canada Centre (in Toronto) and Sundin deservedly becomes a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
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