Sundin creates his own fond Cup memories
By LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun
AS THE story is told in the Sundin household in Bromma, Sweden, Tommy Sundin was glued to the 1976 Canada Cup and Tre Kronor's big game against Russia at Maple Leaf Gardens. The Swedes, led by the great Borje Salming, fought the Big Red Machine to a 4-4 tie. After the game, Salming's legion of fans in Toronto gave the exhausted defenceman a prolonged standing ovation .
A proud and excited Tommy brought his five-year-old son Mats to the TV set and said "look what they would do for a Swede in Canada."
The younger Sundin recalled his dad's tale shortly after he was traded to Toronto in 1994, when he wondered how he would be received in place of icon Wendel Clark, and again on the weekend, as he passed Kent Nilsson for the most points by a Swede in World/Canada Cup history.
"I know for my dad and the people and all Swedish hockey players, that Canada Cup was a special moment," Sundin said. "A guy like B.J. showed the way. A lot of kids (picked up the game) in Sweden after he came to North America and it really opened the door for a lot of Swedes in the NHL."
Sundin has a goal and four assists so far, with Saturday's assist on a Nicklas Lidstrom goal moving him past Nilsson, 18-17. Sundin has played in 13 Cup games to Nilsson's 19.
"I watched a lot of the Canada Cups as I got older," Sundin said. "I remember 1984 and 1987 very well. Sweden had a good tournament in '84 with Kent, Mats Naslund and Tomas Steen (a combined 29 points in eight games before losing the final series two in a row to the host nation)."
Nilsson was drafted by the Atlanta Flames in 1975 on a hunch, although they'd meant to choose him the year before at 192nd overall and wound up with someone named Torbjorn Nilsson by mistake. Torbjorn could be pumping gas in Goteborg today, but Calgary Flames' general manager Cliff Fletcher kept the mixup quiet until the next draft and then snuck the right Nilsson through at 64th.
Nilsson scored 264 goals and 422 assists before leaving the National Hockey League for good during the 1994-95 season.
He's now an NHL scout for the Edmonton Oilers and part-time caddie for girlfriend Helen Alfredsson on the LPGA Tour. Nilsson and Sundin are close friends.
"Kent's quite a character, but he was an amazing player," Sundin said. "He was very skilled and a scorer. There was nothing he couldn't do with a puck."
