Born: Bromma, Sweden. Feb. 13, 1971 6 ft. 4 in., 215 lbs. CentreMats Sundin was obtained from the Quebec Nordiques on June 28,1994 along with Garth Butcher, Todd Warriner and Quebec's first-round selection in 1994 10th overall) in exchange for Wendel Clark, Sylvain Lefebvre, Landon Wilson and Toronto's first-round selection in 1994 (22nd overall). Originally, selected First overall in the 1989 Entry Draft by Quebec.
Sundin plays centre but he attacks from the off (left) wing, where he can come off the boards with speed. He protects the puck along the wall and makes it hard for people to reach in without taking him down for a penalty. He gets the puck low in his own end; people can move to him right away, and he has to move the puck. If a checker stays with him Sundin can't get the puck back. Sundin is a big skater who looks huge, as he uses an ultralong stick that gives him a broad wingspan. For a big man, he is an agile skater, and his balance has improved. He has good lower- body strength, supplying drive for battles along the boards. He doesn't stay checked. He's evasive, and once he is on the fly he is hard to stop. He is less effective when carrying the puck. His best play is to get up a head of steam, jump into the holes and take a quick shot. Sundin can take bad passes in stride, either kicking an errant puck up onto his stick or reaching behind to corral it. He isn't a clever stickhandler. His game is power and speed. He doesn't look fast, but he has ground-eating strides that allow him to cover in two strides what other skaters do in three or four. He is quick, too, and can get untracked in a heartbeat. Sundin's shot is excellent. He can use a slap shot, one-timer, wrister or backhand. The only liability to his reach is that he will dangle the puck well away from his body and he doesn't always control it, which makes him vulnerable to a poke-check when he is in open ice.
Because of his size, Sundin is an untouchable. He may be the most underrated player in the NHL (and underpublicized, despite playing in a media centre that makes superstars out of far lesser players). If Toronto had a strong number two centre, the big Swede could get some relief, but he is it up the middle. Sundin is a quality player who is liked and respected by his coaches and teammates.
Mats Sundin served his 2nd season as Captain...Only Maple Leaf to play in all 82 regular season games...Led the Leafs in points (83), assists (52), 2nd in goals (31), game-winning goals (6), and shots (209-tie)...Led the Leafs for the 5th consecutive season in points and 4th consecutive season in assists...Only 3rd Maple Leaf centre to record three 80+ point seasons (Gilmour, Sittler)...Reached the 30-goal plateau for the first time as a Leaf...Finished tied for 11th in NHL points and tied for 10th in assists...Earned his first points of the season with 2 goals (including the GWG) on October 13th at Edmonton... Collected 2 assists in the next game on October 16th at Calgary (+2) - 2nd assist was his 300th point as a Maple Leaf...Recorded a season-high 4 points with a goal and 3 assists at Pittsburgh on October 24th (finished +3)... Named NHL Player of the Week (October 19-25th)... Played in his 300th game as a Maple Leaf on November 7th versus the Rangers...Recorded the first Leaf hat-trick of the season with 3 goals and an assist on November 12th at Chicago...His 23 multiple-point games and 14 multiple-assist efforts led the team... Held a season-high 7 game point streak from December 16-31st (3g, 8a)...Recorded his 400th NHL assist and 200th as a Leaf on January 30th versus Washington...Assisted on the overtime winning goal on February 20th – the inaugural game at Air Canada Cetnre... Scored the overtime GWG and added 2 assists on February 17th at Buffalo...Represented the Leafs for the 4th straight season at the NHL All-Star Game and led all players with 4 points (1g, 3a).. Earned his 700th NHL point with an assist on March 13th at Montreal...Leafs were 20-4-2 when he scored a goal...Of his 31 goals 21 were assisted on by Steve Thomas...+14 at home... Finished 2nd in Molson Cup Standings with 100 points (9 first star selections)…
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