The hockey world reacts to the passing of Swedish legend Borje Salming

Hockey Hall of Famer and legendary Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Borje Salming has passed away at age 71 after a lengthy battle with ALS.

Salming had been honored by both the Leafs and the Hall of Fame in Toronto earlier this month, receiving a lengthy standing ovation from the Leafs faithful prior to their game against the Vancouver Canucks.

It was an incredibly touching evening that both shed light on Salming's tremendous career for those of us who are maybe a bit young to have seen him play. To me, a child of the mid 1980-1990s, I was simply too young to really see Salming in his prime. By the time I came on the scene I was too busy watching guys like Paul Coffey, Ray Bourque and Brian Leetch. To me, Salming was a bit of a relic and I didn't understand exactly why people were so enthralled with him. As a grown man now, I can understand that his impact went much further than his stat line.

Salming was one of the first European to compete in the NHL and he dispelled the sentiment of the time that European players were soft and couldn't be counted on to compete against Canadians and Americans. Ask anyone who played against Salming though and they'll tell you he was as tough as any kid from Saskatchewan, Alberta, Minnesota or Wisconsin. Salming quickly put to rest any idea that Swedish players are soft and, in turn, inspired the next generation of Swedes to carry on his legacy. We simply don't have players like Nicklas Lidstrom, Mats Sundin and Peter Forsberg in the NHL if we don't have Salming before them. He's arguably THE most important player in Swedish hockey history. Period.

So... if you're sitting there thinking, "What's the big deal?" just imagine the most important player in Canadian or American hockey history passing away. Yeah... that's a big deal.

Lidstrom, who grew up a GIANT Salming fan in his youth, considers Salming to be the greatest Swedish player of all time. Ironically though, Salming considers Lidstrom to be the greatest Swedish player of all time. The fact of the matter is that both of these too classy individuals are too classy to pump their own tires. 

Upon hearing today's news, Lidstrom shared some of his insights on his childhood hero.

"I view him as a great hockey player, but after I was done playing I’ve had a chance to meet him more often and you see what kind and gentle and caring person he is.:

Well said, Nicky. Well said.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, a person whose comments I usually mostly ignore, actually issued a heartfelt statement today, calling Salming, "a towering presence and transformational figure in the game's history."