Mats Sundin
Mats Johan Sundin ( born February 13, 1971 in Bromma ) is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the Quebec Nordiques, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks between 1990 and 2009.
Sundin was the first European to be selected in an NHL Entry Draft at the first overall position. During his career he graduated in 1346 NHL games, in which he scored 1349 points scorer. In addition, he was the longest in office and located not born in North America team captain an NHL team. At the international level, the Swede won the gold medal at the Winter Olympics and several world title.
In November 2012, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
- 2.1 International
- 3.1 International
Career
Sundin began his career in the youth of the multiple Swedish champion Djurgårdens IF. After 1988/89 he spent the season with the then second division Nacka HK, he returned in the summer of 1989 to Stockholm for Djurgårdens IF. In the same year, the Quebec Nordiques, the transfer rights secured during the NHL Entry Draft in 1989 the then 18 -year-old. Those responsible for the Nordiques picked him as a total first. Sundin was the first European to be selected during a NHL Entry Draft as the first overall. In the 1989/90 season his last season was for the time being in Europe before the attackers moved to the National Hockey League to North America.
Sundin won the Swedish championship with Djurgården for completion in 1990. In his first season in the NHL Quebec Nordiques in the Swede was able to achieve 59 points scorer in 80 league games and was behind Joe Sakic of the dot- best player of the team. His first NHL goal he scored while on 4 October 1990 a game against the Hartford Whalers.
In the following years, Sundin could improve and in the 1992/93 season in 86 games to score 118 times. This was his most successful season in the National Hockey League. Sundin was also awarded after the season with the Viking Award for the best Swedish player in the NHL. This title he successfully defended in 1994. June 28, 1994 Sundin was released along with Garth Butcher, Todd Warriner and a first-round draft pick during the NHL Entry Draft 1994 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Quebec Nordiques were given the player Wendel Clark, Sylvain Lefebvre and Landon Wilson, and also a first-round draft pick in 1994 in return.
Since the 1994/95 season turned out partly due to the players strike, Sundin spent the backlash-free time with his hometown club Djurgårdens IF in Sweden. There, however, he completed only twelve games and returned after the strike back to North America. In Toronto, he finished the current season. In 1997, Sundin was appointed at the Toronto Maple Leafs captain. He was the first European captain of the Maple Leafs. In the same year he won again the Viking Award and was nominated for the second time after 1996 for the NHL All-Star Game.
His first success at club level could reach during the season 1998/99, when he became the runner-up of the Northeast Division after two years was able to move into the play- offs with the Maple Leafs Sundin. There he defeated with his team in the first round, first the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Thus, the Maple Leafs moved into the Conference Finals, which they still lost to the Buffalo Sabres. This was the greatest success, could reach the Sundin with the Toronto Maple Leafs in his career. In the following two seasons 1999/ 00 and 2000/ 01, he retired with his club out in the second round of the play -offs. On 10 March 2003, during his ninth season with the Toronto Maple Leafs and his total of 13 in the NHL, as the first Swede Mats Sundin reached the 1000 point mark. This makes it one of the few players who could create this in the recent NHL history.
Three years later, in the game against the Calgary Flames, he scored his 500th goal in the NHL and was the 35th player to reach this " sound barrier". The Maple Leafs Sundin remained until the summer of 2008, before a two-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks signed as a free agent, which should earn him 20 million dollars. He was one of the highest paid NHL player of all time. Previously, he had already received offers from his former club, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens, but decided in December 2008 for the Canucks.
In Vancouver he met his two compatriots and former national team colleague, Daniel and Henrik Sedin. His first game for the Canucks, he completed on January 7, 2009. Few months later, in late September 2009, the now 38 -year-old Sundin said his career at a press conference in Stockholm over. This decision he founded with his age. His achievements had subsided in the last season of his career. So he scored for the Vancouver Canucks in 49 league games and 36 points scorer was not so that the hoped-for reinforcement of the team. In his career, Sundin participated in eight All-Star games of the National Hockey League between 1996 and 2004. In addition, he won a total of four times the Viking Awards and the 2008 Mark Messier Leadership Award for the player with the best leadership qualities of the NHL. In addition, two nominations for the NHL Second All-Star Team came in the years 2002 and 2004.
On November 12, 2012 Mats Sundin was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Internationally
Overall Sundin graduated 74 caps for the Swedish national team, scoring 36 goals and 49 assists. His first tournament for the senior team, he played in 1991, when he participated with Sweden at the World Cup. With a first place in the Master Round his team won the gold medal. The striker was the top scorer of the World Cup further. A little later he started with Sweden at the Canada Cup in 1991., Where he reached with his team to fourth place in the group stage and was eliminated in the subsequent semi-final 0-4 against the U.S.. A year later, he took part in the World Cup 1992. By winning the gold medal Sundin also celebrated his second world title with the Swedish national team. Sundin, who scored eight points scorer in the tournament, was also honored as the best striker.
After 1993, he missed the World Cup due to the play-off participation of its Quebec Nordiques, he won 1994 World Cup bronze. During the semi-final was lost 0-6 to eventual champion Canada, he won with Team Sweden, the 3rd place match 7-2 against the United States. Sundin was awarded after the tournament for the second time after 1991 as top scorer of the World Cup. He then accepted again until 1998, in a World Cup finals. With the new winning the gold medal and the appointment to the All-Star team in the world championship, Sundin became one of the most successful national team in Sweden.
There was a bronze medal at the 2001 World Cup, to participate in the 2002 Winter Olympics and a silver medal at the World Championships in 2003. His last tournament at international level denied Sundin in 2006, when he participated for the second time at the Olympic Winter Games. With a 3-2 final win against Finland, he won Olympic gold with Sweden. This is the biggest success of his career. Sundin was able to score eight times in eight games.
Awards and achievements
Internationally
Career Stats
Internationally
Represented Sweden at:
- U18 European Junior Championships 1988
- U18 European Junior Championships 1989
- U20 Junior World Cup 1990
- World Cup 1990
- World Cup 1991
- Canada Cup 1991
- World Cup 1992
- World Cup of Hockey 1996
- World Cup 1994
- 1998 Winter Olympics
- World Cup 1998
- World Cup 2001
- 2002 Winter Olympics
- 2003 World Cup
- World Cup of Hockey 2004
- 2006 Winter Olympics
( Key to Career statistics: Sp or GP = Games Played, T or G = goals scored, V or A = achieved assists; Pts or Pts = scored points scorer, SM or PIM = received penalty minutes, / - = Plus / Minus balance sheet; PP = scored majority gates; SH = scored shorthanded goals, GW = achieved victory gates; Play-downs/Relegation 1 )