In 1989, Mats Sundin became the first European player to be picked first overall. He was selected by the Quebec Nordiques and made an immediate impact in the world’s best league.
He scored 23 goals and recorded 36 assists in his debut season, and to this day, he’s the only Swede with more than 500 goals in the NHL. Sundin was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012 as the second Swede after fellow former Maple Leafs player Börje Salming.
Mats Sundin is a cult hero in Toronto, and he served as team captain for 11 seasons, and when he retired, he did as Toronto’s franchise leader in goals and points. He played in eight All-Star Games and is truly one of the all-time greats.
He played 18 seasons in the NHL, so when he was asked to pick the five best players he ever played with, it’s many to choose from.
But there’s one former teammate that Sundin doesn’t hesitate for one second to select.
”Alexander Moligny is one I think of straight away. He was an incredibly talented player, even if I didn’t play with him when he was in his prime,” Sundin said to the Swedish sports site Sportbibeln.
After taking some time to decide, Mats Sundin has to put players like Doug Gilmour, Curtis Joseph, and Valeri Kamensky on the bench. Instead, he chose the following team as his absolute dream team of former teammates.
Goalie:
Ed Belfour
Defensemen:
Kenny Jönsson
Brian Leetch
Forwards:
Alexander Moligny
Mats Sundin
Joe Sakic
