Mats Sundin

Mats Sundin
By Sam Laskaris
Oct 30, 2001, 11:49

 

©BBS

Though he’s a National Hockey League veteran, Mats Sundin has been forced to start proving himself all over again this season. The Swedish native made international headlines when the Quebec Nordiques selected him first over-all in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. Sundin became the first European ever to be chosen at the top of his draft class.

Sundin demonstrated the Nordiques made a wise selection by collecting more than a point per outing (363 points in 324 games) during his first four NHL campaigns.

Sundin also dominated the headlines at this year’s draft, but for a different reason. During the proceedings, he was involved in a blockbuster trade between the Nordiques and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Toronto gave up captain Wendel Clark, defenseman Sylvain Lefebvre and prospect Landon Wilson to obtain Sundin, defenseman Garth Butcher, left winger Todd Warriner and a draft choice. So as he entered his fifth NHL season, Sundin, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound center was forced to start from scratch in his bid to win the respect and support of teammates and fans.

 

Ever since the Wayne Gretzky trade, it’s become clear that nobody—not even a #1 pick—is untouchable. What were your thoughts on being traded?

When you get traded, at first it’s kind of a weird feeling knowing you’re going to lose your friends and your teammates. I got along well with everybody off the ice with the Quebec Nordiques. I was there for four years. On the other side, it feels good to come to a team like Toronto with all the history, all the tradition and the good representation the organization has. They’ve been to the Stanley Cup semi-finals two years in a row. And I’m very excited to come to a team that finally has a chance to go very far in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

 

I understand that you talked to former Toronto star Borje Salming over the summer. What did he tell you about playing in Toronto?

When I first heard about the trade I was kind of confused. And I didn’t know if I should be happy or sad. But I talked to Borje for about half an hour. And after talking to him I was very happy to be a Maple Leaf. He told me he had a very good experience from Toronto—with the team, the city and everything. And he said if I give 100% for everybody, they’ll like you and they’ll support you. There’s a lot of pressure on the team because there’s a lot of people following (it). But that’s fun.

 

A lot of pro players say they prefer to play in the United States for financial reasons. How do you feel about that?

I’m very happy to stay in Canada. I like Canada. It’s very similar to Sweden. I haven’t had any problems playing in Canada.

 

There were other players involved in the trade when you came to Toronto. But it’s been interpreted as a deal of Wendel Clark for you. Is that how you see it?

It was a three-for-three trade. I don’t know who was for who. I’m not here to replace Wendel Clark. I know he’s a great player and was very, very popular here in Toronto. I’m just here to play my type of game and my style and help the team as much as I can.

 

Some of your critics have suggested for your size you might be able to play more of a physical game. Do you see yourself changing at all, or are you happy playing your finesse game?

I’m not going to run around looking for hits or trying to kill people in the corners. I’m from Sweden and most players there play a technical and skating game. When a hit comes to me I’m going to hit, I’m not going to turn away. But at the same time, I’m don’t think I’ll be out there looking for hits.

 

How popular is hockey in your homeland?

It’s very popular. It’s one of the biggest sports there. Hockey and soccer are very big. Sweden has the best elite league in Europe. A lot of young talented players are coming out of there and playing in the NHL.

 

When did you start playing hockey?

I was probably five or six years old when I started skating. And then I was about seven when I started playing for a Pee Wee team.

 

When did you think you might be able to make hockey your career?

Probably when I got drafted. I was 18 and I thought I could make a living out of what at that point was my hobby.

 

Do you still take pride in the fact you were the first European to be selected first over-all in an NHL Entry Draft?

I’m very proud of it. It made me very, very happy. Being drafted, though, still doesn’t prove anything. It only a way of saying that you’re a part of a team now. And it’s up to you to show the people what you can do.

 

Even though you were the first pick, you decided to spend another year playing in Sweden before coming to the NHL. Why?

I don’t think I was ready for the NHL. I was pretty young and hadn’t played a lot in Sweden at a high level. I wanted to play with the national team in Sweden to get some international experience and to play in the Swedish Elite League for one year. I think it was a very good for me. I learned a lot that year, and it that helped me to adjust to the NHL.

 

What sort of adjustments did you have in your first NHL season?

First of all, it’s a smaller rink here than in Sweden and Europe. It’s a faster game here and a little bit more physical. But most of all it’s a higher intensity over here. It took a while to adjust.

 

Do you think the Nordiques lived up to their potential the last few years?

A few years ago we had a great year and finished fourth over-all. We had a very, very good year but got beat out in the first round against Montreal and they went on to win the Stanley Cup. I played in Quebec for four years and we only went to the playoffs once. The team has a lot more potential than it’s been showing the last four years. Hopefully, they’ll do better this year.

 

How would you describe your first four years in the NHL? Are you satisfied with your individual performance?

It’s been up and down. Two years ago I had my best season so far and I was very happy with that year. Then last year was a disappointment, both for the team and personally. I think on paper we had a lot better team than was shown. Myself, too, I could have had a better year than I did.

Most people know hockey is a business. I understand you were involved with some contract problems in Quebec. Does this sort of thing affect how players do on the ice?

You try to block it out. You don’t want it to be affecting your performance on the ice. You try to think about the game and leave the business side to your agent and manager. I wouldn’t blame the fact I had an up-and-down season because of the contract developments. I don’t think that was the case.

 

Have you set any sort of goals for this season?

If you’re talking about points or goals, I always keep that to myself. I just want to make sure I give 110% with my new team and hopefully we’ll go far in the playoffs.

 

Coming into your first training camp as a Toronto Maple Leaf, did you know a lot about the other players here?

Of course. There’s a lot of guys that have been playing very well the last few years like (Doug) Gilmour, (Felix) Potvin and (Dave) Andreychuk. I’ve seen them on the ice before and I’ve played against them. They’re a very good group of players.

 

How much do you think your countryman Kenny Johnson is going to contribute to the Leafs this season? Is he ready for the NHL?

It’s tough to say. He’s got all the tools and all the talent. It’s all up to him whether he wants to play or not.

 

Wendel Clark was a very popular player in Toronto and there were a lot of angry people here when he was traded. Did you purposely stay in Sweden this summer to avoid all the Wendel-hype in Toronto?

I was here at the beginning of August for a week. I met some people in the organization. I just wanted to stay with my family some more. You’re over here for nine or 10 months of the year. I wanted to spend some time with my parents and girlfriend in Sweden.

 

Do you think this year’s Leafs team is capable of going back to the Stanley Cup semi-finals, or a step further?

I’m sure we all have the motivation. And I think the potential to go very far is there. But it’s tough to say. It’s a long point from now until the playoffs. Hopefully, we’ll do well when they do come around.

 

Are you going to be satisfied with second-line status in Toronto?

Yeah. Playing behind Doug Gilmour is nothing to be ashamed about. I’m just 23 years old and I still have a lot to learn. I’m very happy just to get out there and get some ice time and try to help the team win.

 

You’ve already played four seasons in the NHL. What sort of things do you still have to learn?

You’re learning all the time. You’re getting more experience learning about the game and developing as a person on the ice and off the ice. The way I see it, I’m still young and looking at other players, trying to pick up something new all the time.

Sam Laskaris is a freelance sportswriter in Toronto

This first appeared in the 11/1994 issue of Hockey Player Magazine®
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