There’s no question, really: Mats Sundin deserves his place in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
He scored more career goals than Guy Lafleur, Johnny Bucyk and Frank Mahovlich, all of whom also won a Stanley Cup. Sundin never won a Cup then again neither did Dale Hawerchuk, who was voted into the Hall in 2001.
Hawerchuk ended up with 518 goals; Sundin had 564.
To his credit, Sundin was also the first European to be selected first overall in an NHL entry draft, the first Swede to score 1,000 points. He was remarkably durable, a highly-skilled player who enjoyed living in Toronto and being captain of the Maple Leafs.
While some poked holes in his game or challenged his leadership abilities, Sundin did guide Sweden to a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics. He even won the 2008 Mark Messier Leadership Award as voted on by Messier himself.
Add it all up and it equals a Hall of Fame induction for a guy whose artistry and grace made much of what he did look stunningly easy.
