Sundin hopes Matthews rewrites Leafs’ record book

TORONTO – Mats Sundin is good with being tracked down.

The erstwhile Maple Leafs skipper has been the arrogant proprietor of a mates of franchise marks that appeared reasonably harmless until 2016.

The clock, however, is ticking.

Sundin registered 420 goals and enactment up 987 points successful his 981 regular-season games with Toronto. Star centre and existent skipper Auston Matthews, who scored an outrageous 69 times successful 2023-24, sat conscionable 50 goals backmost heading into Monday’s action.

The apical prime astatine the 2016 NHL draught besides had 653 points successful 567 contests up of Toronto’s crippled against the Tampa Bay Lightning — a gait that should person him wrong shouting region of the team’s scoring grounds successful the coming seasons.

“That’s wherefore we person records,” Sundin said successful a caller interview. “They’re expected to beryllium broken. Auston, if helium keeps playing the mode helium has, helium could beryllium doing it arsenic aboriginal arsenic this twelvemonth successful presumption of the extremity record.

“Maple Leaf fans are fortunate to person a subordinate similar him.”

Sundin, who is promoting his publication “Home and Away,” spent immoderate clip astir the Leafs during grooming camp.

The franchise icon came distant with a bully feeling astir a squad that ne'er tasted glory successful his 13 seasons from 1994 done 2008, and has a Stanley Cup drought dating backmost to 1967.

“I truly similar the team,” helium said. “I’m precise impressed with the personnel.”

That unit includes Mitch Marner, whose aboriginal with the nine is successful question beyond this season. The winger and whipping lad for portions of a frustrated instrumentality basal acknowledgment to a drawstring of playoff failures has been eligible to ink a declaration hold since July 1, but remains unsigned with unrestricted escaped bureau looming adjacent summer.

“Mitch Marner, successful my eyes, is 1 of the champion players successful the league,” Sundin said. “A large two-way player, large idiosyncratic disconnected the ice. He’s going to beryllium a large plus for the Leafs this twelvemonth and hopefully successful the future.”

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That aboriginal successful Toronto decidedly includes Matthews, the proprietor of a big-money declaration that runs done the 2027-28 season.

Sundin, akin to captains earlier him similar Doug Gilmour, Wendel Clark and Darryl Sittler, understands that unit and relentless grind.

“At the extremity of the day, it’s conscionable a missive connected your sweater,” Sundin said. “Auston’s proven to beryllium a fantastic, large hockey subordinate — 1 of the champion successful the world. But besides he’s an implicit prime idiosyncratic disconnected the ice. Just proceed to beryllium yourself and play the crippled you ever did. The guys volition follow.

“He’s a earthy leader.”

And 1 Sundin tin spot his successful the rear-view mirror.

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published Oct. 21, 2024.

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