SUNDIN’S ‘LETTER’ TO LEAFS
Former Leaf Mats Sundin was on hand to donate his old ACC banner to Sick Kids hospital and weigh in on the state of his old club, which doesn’t have a captain: “The letter is just a letter.”
Mats Sundin said he loved being captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs even if, at times, wearing the C seemed a heavy load.
“I enjoyed it, but it was a burden,” Sundin said Monday. “Toronto has done a good job of building a good team now. But it is a tough city to be a young team. In Toronto, there’s so much interest in the franchise and how the team is doing. At the same time, there’s so much media pressure that adds on to that.
“It is a different situation than most other cities in the National Hockey League.”
The Maple Leafs haven’t had a captain since Dion Phaneuf was traded in 2016. And while there’s speculation that Auston Matthews will be captain one day, Sundin said the letter is not as important as leadership.
“The letter is just a letter,” said Sundin. “The great teams that are winning championships — it doesn’t matter what sport — you need to have good leadership from management, coaches, and in the dressing room.
“It comes in different ways. But I don’t think you win championships without good leaders in the room.” Sundin was in town Monday to present the banner that once hung from the rafters at the Air Canada Centre, honouring his No. 13, to the Hospital for Sick Children. It was the last of the old 18 banners that were replaced — including a 19th for Dave Keon — to kick off the team’s 100th season.
Most of the banners have gone to the hometowns of the honoured players, but Sundin’s now hangs in the main foyer at Sick Kids because he said he was touched by his many visits there.
“It’s the right place for it,” Sundin said. “When you’re in the middle of your career, and you think hockey’s the most important thing, you come here and you see real courage. You get a reality check on life, and the challenges people go through.
“I thought if they wanted the banner here, they should have it. It’s the perfect match.”
Sundin has also established a fellowship in his name for research into the first 2,000 days of a child’s life. The Mats Sundin Fellowship helps fund an exchange between the University of Toronto and Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.
“I spent 13 years in Toronto and I got so much out of the game of hockey, I wanted to find a way to give back,” said Sundin. “So this (fellowship) is a great way for me to give back to Toronto, and also Sweden where I was born and raised.”
Sundin is not very involved in hockey these days. “Three kids under 6. Not much hockey. Moved back to Sweden and having family time.”
Sundin said he’s following the Stanley Cup final, and is impressed with Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin.
“If you look at him as a player, he’s developed as a leader,” said Sundin. “Definitely you see the last few years. When we used to play them, he didn’t do the backchecking and other things on the ice. He’s really leading. You see he wants his team to win, to do well, and his teammates as well. That’s really helped.” Sundin won Olympic gold with Sweden in 2006, but never touched the Stanley Cup. He said he’s rooting for Ovechkin and other veterans who have yet to win the Cup to get their chance.
“I was fortunate to play 18 years in the NHL. We were in the conference finals a couple of times. I got so much out of the game. I don’t feel any regrets with my career. But you do want guys who have been in the league a long time to have a chance to win the Cup. It would be great to see if that happens.”
The Maple Leafs missed the playoffs in Sundin’s final few years in the organization, but he loves the direction of the team. “I think management has done a great job building the team the way it’s supposed to be done,” said Sundin. “Lots of young players. You see the Marlies in the Calder Cup finals. And on the roster the best players are all young, 20, 22 years old. If you keep building that and adding on, you have a chance to be a great team for a long time. They’re definitely going in the right direction.”