Hockey Hall of Famer and pioneer Borje Salming dies at 71

Salming had been diagnosed with ALS back in August and was recently honored at a Maple Leafs game that he was able to attend.

Salming is one of the most important players in NHL history for helping to set a path for other European stars to make the jump to North America.
 
He made his NHL debut during the 1973-74 season when the league was still mostly dominated by Canadian and American players. He was one of the first European players to make a significant impact and really become a true star in the league. That helped set the stage for generations of European players in the decades that followed. He also helped to silence the criticism that European players were too "soft" to play in the NHL due to his toughness.

Salming was the first European-trained player to play over 1,000 games in the NHL.
 
Aside from being a pioneer for European players, he was also one of the best all-around defensemen in the NHL and a prolific scorer from the blue line.

He spent 16 of his 17 years in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is still the team's all-time record holder for career assists. He also spent one season with the Detroit Red Wings in 1989-90 before returning to Sweden to finish his professional hockey career.