Sundin Returns

EDMONTON—The reluctant hockey prince is finally ready to return to the rink.

Mats Sundin confirmed today he will suit up for the Vancouver Canucks tonight against the Edmonton Oilers, his first game in nine months and nine days after ending his career with the Maple Leafs by missing the last three games of the 2007-08 regular season with an injury.

“I am excited,” he said at Rexall Place this afternoon after taking part in a brief optional skate with his new Vancouver teammates, including injured goaltender Roberto Luongo.

“Only way to get where you want to be is to start playing games. I’m not sure how long it's going to take me to get back to being the player I was last season. It’s impossible to say. I’m going to take it shift-by-shift.

Sundin arrived today to find a white helmet with No. 13 on it above his nameplate in the visitors dressing room, sandwiched between the Sedin brothers, Daniel and Henrik. Mike Brown, who had the number before, has switched to No. 15, although Sundin said he wasn’t consulted and would have been happy to wear another number.

“I didn’t have anything to do with it,” smiled Sundin. “It was there when I got to the dressing room. It was very nice (Brown) gave up his number to let me have it. That was a nice gesture.”

He stood teaming with sweat despite just stepping out of the shower as he was surrounded by a large media scrum in the tiny visitors quarters. More than 100 media requests have been received for tonight’s game.

Sundin said he didn’t think it would feel strange to compete tonight without a Maple Leaf jersey on.

“Much of the uniform feels the same. Lots of blue and white,” he smiled. “When you play hockey your whole life you’ve been on lots of different teams and in lots of different situations, so I don’t think that part will be that much of a difference.”

His last game for the Leafs was against Montreal last March 29, and he hasn’t scored a goal in NHL competition since March 11. How quickly he gets up to speed and begins to contribute to a Canucks team that had lost five of seven going into tonight’s game will be intriguing to watch.

“I anticipate he will be effective right away,” said Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish this morning. “He’s a different element for us to prepare for now.”

Sundin signed with the Canucks Dec. 18, meaning it has taken him almost three weeks to prepare himself to play.

“He’s not going to have to rely on his open-ice game,” said MacTavish. “I’ve seen guys come back and play great right away, and other guys take three weeks to get up to speed. It’s hard to predict.”

The 37-year-old Sundin, drafted first overall by the Quebec Nordiques 20 years ago, has played 1,305 NHL regular season games, 981 of them with the Leafs. He has scored 555 goals, 420 of them with the Leafs.

The Leafs tried to trade him twice last winter, and it’s a curious coincidence that on the same day he begins his new career with Vancouver, the Leafs went out and acquired 37-year-old forward Brad May.

Vancouver players are excited to have Sundin join the team. He is expected to play on a line with Mason Raymond and ex-Leaf Kyle Wellwood.

“I’m excited to be part of this tonight,” said forward Jason Jaffray. “It’s a chance to play with one of the best players ever to play. He’s been very calm, very down to earth. He seems like a great guy off the ice.”

Sundin is expected to play three games in four nights right away, but said he’s very much aware the Canucks are scheduled to visit Toronto on Feb. 21.

“It will be emotional. Toronto has been my home for 13 years, and that’s going to be an emotional night,” he said. “Toronto will always be part of my home. I always have a home there, but right now I’m focusing on Vancouver.”

He said he’s not sure how well he will perform immediately.

"I feel good. The body feels good. So, ready to go,” he said. “It’s not a perfect situation coming into the middle of the season like this, it’s a big challenge for me. I have to work every game to get back to where I want to be.

“We’ll see how it goes. Keep it simple, you know, and try to play hard the times I’m on the ice."

Comments

[Lee]

Go get 'em, Mats! I hope he makes the difference for the Canucks and they have a good playoff run. They surprised me this year and he's only going to improve them.

[Doug]

Mr. Sincerity says it will be emotional when he comes back to Toronto in a Canuck uniform. I certainly hope he gets booed and heckled so much that he breaks down at centre ice. This is the guy who told us he simply couldn't allow the Leafs to trade him because he "would never play for a team unless he was with them from the start of training camp." He's a selfish egomaniac and was largely a failure as a so-called leader. He's not a winner. Never been. Sure hope Leaf fans don't forget all that.

[David Copperfield Grant]

Damien,

Mats Sundin is one of the Greats. I hope he has a few more years left in him. He deserves to end his career with a Stanley Cup contender. Perhaps he’ll go to the Tampa Bay (Ponce de Leon, who invented hockey) Lighting, who stink this year, but with Mats I’m sure they’d be a contender..

Copperfield.

[MacinMoscow]

As much as it will be strange seeing Mats in another sweater, I only wish him the best. After 14 seasons toiling for the Leafs, I hope he can get the Cup that such a classy player deserves. If only Leaf management and fans had shown as much class, maybe he would still be in blue and white today, instead of the added green...........how mant times was he a Leaf all star????

[Julie]

Is there any way I can watch this game in T.O.? I'd love to see him play...And btw, Leaf fans have proven to be worse than Habs fans with the treament Sundin received since leaving the city.

[Richard Sarabando]

Damien, I live in Vancouver but am a lifelong Leaf fan (I was born outside of Toronto). Sundin was a big part of Leaf success no question about it and he handled himself with class his entire career with the Leafs. To suggest that he did not owe the Leafs anything when he earned nearly $80 million during his career with them is adhering to the strict letter of the law. On an emotional level and on a loyalty level he had an obligation which went beyond his contract. Bigger and better players the sports world over have allowed their teams to trade them away for the betterment of the team. Sundin did not. His legacy has been tarnished. He went back on what he said which undoes a lot of his class and integrity. Surely he was upset with how Leaf management handled the trade/no trade scenario but he snubbed all Leaf fans when he refused to be traded and then signed mid-season for the money with the Canucks. That was his right of course but it does not make it right. I have always disliked the Canucks because of the rampant anti-Toronto, anti-Ontario and anti-Leaf attitude which runs deep here out West. Now, I have another reason to dislike them.

[Bob Holden.]

I am, as an ex-pat Leaf fan, astounded at the negative, self-righteous attitude directed at Mats Sundin.

Presumably Leafs wished him to complete his contract in Toronto or they would not have signed him to a no-trade deal. They subsequently changed their minds.

Mats did not apparently wish to be a late addition to a contender or pretender, but he too, apparently changed his mind, and to his credit did it on his own terms, turning his back on an apparent $20 million two year deal for about $5.6 million for the rest of this season.

Sundin played here honorably and well for many years. Had ownership, management, coaches and team mates performed as well, the 41 year and counting drought might have already disappeared.

Happy trails, Mats Sundin!

[smokey]

Mats and May may be the same age Damien but May is paid 1/10 the salary.

I hope the Leaf fans get over their frustration and give Mats a standing ovation. It would be really classeless otherise but I must admit I am disappointed that someone who has earned so much money already would not have opted to retire a Leaf,

[A-Mar]

I do wish Mats the best and he was my favourite player in the Blue and White for all 14 years he played in Toronto... but I can't help feeling a little bit bitter and I'm sure I'm not alone. I know he has every right to change his mind, but it still stings to have neither the world class player, nor any kind of compensation for said world class player. I won't be booing Mats Sundin anytime soon, but I think it may take me a few years after his eventual retirement to accept him back into Leafland with open arms.

[Sid]

Damien, great article...

Bitter Toronto fans are so easily forgetting the 14 years Sundin has dedicated to the Toronto Maple Leafs and MLSE. Booing him when he returns will only make him feel better about his decision to leave after being surpressed by idiots like Richard Peddie and the gang of teachers over the years, not to mention JFJ. Toronto is hockey heaven; we live, eat and breathe hockey. It's too bad Maple Leaf management never built a team around Sundin that he and the fans could enjoy. I blame MLSE for the mismanagement and ignorance that left Sundin no choice but to leave. At the end of the day a team player needs to look out for himself too. Afterall, he did give us 14 years of some great memories, breaking all records in a leaf uniform.

It saddens me to know that when Sundin makes his return to the ACC he will hear boos. Sundin is in a class of exceptional players that does not deserve this fate, especially from such great hockey fans we have in our city. I understand Sundin's decisions in his final leaf days doesn't sit well with a lot of people, but we can't hold that against him. He has earned the right to be respected, whatever his off ice decisions may be. MLSE treated him like a used door mat. Toronto owes him nothing but a standing ovation when he takes to the ice on Feb. 21, 2009. I really hope he gets it because anything less will truely show how self centred and unappreciate leaf fans attending that game truely are, simply forgetting that he spent his entire career fighting in blue and white..

Sundin.. all the best to you.. you are number one in my books.. I really hope the final achievement (Lord Stanley) is in your future. You have earned the right to have your name engraved onto hockey's most cherished prize. I will certainly be cheering when Sundin takes to the ice... GO MATS GO... you are truely in a class act..

[Guido]

Doug .. you have to get over it. Sundin's gone and we'll never get anything for him. You cannot forget the number of years Sundin put in for the Leafs and he could have left many number of times, but he wanted to win here - but couldn't. The Leafs didn't want him this year, so he moved on.

The guy is a Legendary Leaf and for once the Leaf fans (and organization) should be classy enough and applaud him. Unfortunately it's become the "cool" thing to do to boo ex players. Booing McCabe the other night was idiotic. Why boo him now? He waived his no trade, he wasn't a great player, but he certainly tried his best (unlike the booing of the dogger Vince Carter). Some Leaf fans just follow whatever the media hypes up.

On a side note, it looked more like Fats Sundin last night.. the dude ate some Cheetos while he was retired.

[ray brewer]

Sheesh this luv in for Sundin is touching...How nice that we all wish Mats the best of luck..I bet he is gushing with luv towards the Leafs every time he checks his bank account..We should be happy for him, after all he gave us...er, nothing..He should have went to another team and gave the Leafs some draft picks because he got paid too much for too little..

Paid 74 million dollars, no championships, no awards, nothing..He was such a proud Leaf he didn't want to waive his no trade claus because he was the only person on planet earth who felt the Leafs were going to make the playoffs last season..He looks washed up..Thats called karma...Sooner or later the Canuck fans will smell a rat and boo him too..

As for Leaf fans, were like cockroaches..Were everywhere..We pay a kings ransom for tickets..We have the right to boo whoever we want Brian Mcabe..After all, we paid Sundin his 74 million dollars no you..

[Lewis McClain]

Damian: The leafs will regret ever letting Matts go. He gave the team,and the city his best. If that is not enough then that does'nt say much for us. I hope Vancouver wins the cup. The leafs passed on Gretzky to. Why i still love this team is beyond me.

[Steve]

Damien, I thought you were 'moving on' from Sundin.

[Tony 1954]

Doug & all the disgruntled, sour grapes Leaf fans who turned on Mats when he refused to prostitute himself at the trade deadline even though Leaf management negotiated a no-trdae clause in "good faith":

You are self absorbed hypocrites and the reason he left TO.

To all the Leaf posters who wish Mats well, regardless of where he plays:

Good on you.

[bjorn vulveus]

Mats Sundin is a loser and the Canucks will win the same with him as the Leafs did-NOTHING. Hope Leaf fans throw eggs at him on Feb 21st.

[Brian]

They way the Leafs treated Mats at the end was reminiscence of Sittler and Keon. I wish Mats all the best and hopefully the Canucks can add some more players to get a shot at the cup. The West is the better conference but who knows maybe Mats can bring the cup back to Canada.

[Peter]

i hope Sundin will have a great time in Vancouver.
and to Doug: Sundin as a failure? nice one. i guess being the all time top scorer on a team is a failure. and we all know that hockey players win championships completly on their own... he was a great palyer and a class act for 14 years. i hope when he comes to town with the Canucks, he will get an ovation instead of boos. and if they boo him, i hope he scores the winning goal against the Leafs.

[Richard Sarabando]

I find interesting all the comments claiming that Leaf fans that no longer like Sundin are called self-absorbed hypocrites. I live in Vancouver the new home of Mats Sundin. When Sundin was a Leaf, it was Canuck fans saying all the comments you hear from bitter Leaf fans today about him not being a winner and not be a great player. That would be more indicative of a hypocrite. No one portrays Toronto as the centre of the universe more than people out West. No one is more obsessed about hating Toronto than people out West. Having Sundin as a Canuck only illustrates what a tenuous line there between being an aggrieved Westerner and an opportunistic hockey fan.