Mats Sundin became the first European-born player drafted first overall in NHL history when the Quebec Nordiques selected him in 1989. Sundin made his debut the following season and immediately proved his talent with 59 points.
In his sophomore year in the NHL, he improved to 76 points, and in his third season, he recorded a career-high 114 points. Sundin quickly emerged as one of the league’s best young players.
In 1994, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a blockbuster deal that, among others, sent Wendel Clark to the Nordiques.
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There was no doubt that Sundin was an enormous talent, but when he first met his new coach, Pat Burns, in Toronto, Burns wasn’t fully convinced of Sundin’s physical abilities.
“My first meeting with him, he was sitting in his office, and I come in. It was in the summer, right after I got traded—I flew in for a press conference and to meet the coaches,” Sundin recalled on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast.
“Cliff Fletcher was the GM, so I come into the room, and he’s sitting there. He’s got his reading glasses on—I’ll never forget it. He had his little, small office, and he got up and said, ‘Hey Mats, how are you? Sit down.’
“Pat asked me, ‘Do you mind playing right wing? Or on the second line?’ And I said, ‘I’ll play anywhere.’ I think I was like 23 or 24. And he goes, ‘That’s fine. We’re looking forward to the season.’ He was excited and asked me a couple of questions.”
But then things took a turn when Sundin noticed his new coach was drawing something on a piece of paper.
“Then, he starts drawing on a paper,” Sundin said.
“He drew a little thing and gave it to me. I asked, ‘What’s this?’ And he said, ‘This is the road map to the gym here at Maple Leafs Gardens. You’re going to need to be in there a lot this year.’”
Sundin spent more time in the gym, and everything worked out great. Mats Sundin became one of the Leafs’ all-time greats and is still the franchise leader in goals (420) and points (987).
