Detroit Red Wings defenceman and Swedish hockey icon Nicklas Lidstrom was named as the first recipient of the Börje Salming Courage Award by the NHL Alumni Association in Sweden on Thursday.
The award is given to a European NHL Alumni who best embodies Salming’s positive influence and dedication to community, both on and off the ice.
“We are honoured to have Nicklas Lidstrom as our inaugural recipient of this award,” NHL Alumni Association executive director Glenn Healy said in an NHLAA press release. “Nicklas is a true representation of what this award is all about. From supporting youth hockey initiatives to a no-ego attitude on and off the ice, he perfectly represents this award and the legacy behind it.”
Salming, also a Swedish-born defenceman, played his first NHL game at the age of 22 as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Considered by many to be a pioneer, Salming and countryman Inge Hammarström opened the door for other European players to make their way to North America and the NHL.
“Borje Salming’s impact in Sweden and Europe as a whole cannot be overstated,” Healy said. “He paved a path for generations of international players to follow and achieve their dreams of playing in the National Hockey League.”
Salming played 1,148 games in the NHL and tallied 150 goals, 637 assists and 787 points over 17 seasons. The first European-born player to amass 1,000 games played, he still holds the record for most career goals, assists and points by a Leafs defenceman. His No. 21 hangs in the rafters at Scotiabank Arena.
“The King” was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996 and also named as a member of the 100 Greatest NHL Players list.
Lidstrom was drafted 53rd overall by the Red Wings in 1989, playing his first NHL game in 1991. He spent his entire 20-year career with Detroit, winning four Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe and seven James Norris Memorial Trophies along the way. Throughout the span of 1,564 games, the second-most in team history, he racked up 264 goals and 878 assists for a total of 1,142 points.
In 2015, Lidstrom joined Salming in the Hockey Hall of Fame and was later also named to the 100 Greatest NHL Players list.
Lidstrom and Salming were also named as recipients of the NHLAA’s Man of the Year award in 2018, along with countryman Mats Sundin. Lidstrom sits on the board of the Borje Salming ALS Foundation.
