The feeling is mutual.
Sundin and Tie Domi were in their first season as teammates with the Maple Leafs when Max was born on March 2, 1995. They were different in many ways, the yin and yang of friendship so to speak, but had a unique bond that grew with each subsequent season they played together.
Mats was a tall, talented Swedish striker whose playmaking and finishing abilities were elite. Tie was a short, tough man from Windsor, Ontario who didn’t back down from anyone and always had his teammates’ back.
When Max started coming to his father’s games at a young age, he would often sit in the booth next to Sundin’s and talk to him while Tie underwent treatment in the trainer’s room. They would stage impromptu games in the Maple Leafs locker room, using rolled-up balls of duct tape as pucks and a pair of gloves to score the goal.
Sundin quickly became interested in Max’s minor hockey career when he began playing in organized leagues.
“I mean, I remember playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the late 90s and early 2000s and going to see Max play kids hockey in the Toronto area with Tie,” Sundin recalled . “And also having him in the locker room when we played all those years.
“Obviously, I watched Max from the age of 8, 9, to what he is today. It was fantastic to follow his career and what he did. And all this while he suffered from type 1 diabetes. It has been fantastic, simply fantastic.
Domi remembers several occasions when he skated with Mats, some at Scotiabank Arena. In one such case, they posed for a famous photo; Sundin in his Maple Leafs jersey, Max in his Toronto Marlboroughs minor hockey jersey.
“I remember that photo,” Max said. “I was captain of the team and I wore No. 13 because of him. We weren’t wearing the exact same jersey, but pretty similar colors and both had a three on the back and a C on the front. There’s almost a connection between Sundin and Domi, but in this case, a senior and junior sort of thing.
“Pretty special stuff that, I mean, I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
Just like Sundin scored his 500th NHL goal on October 14, 2006. Max was 11 years old at the time.
“It was overtime against the Calgary Flames and Miikka Kiprusoff,” Domi said. “If I look at it now, I still get goosebumps because, I mean, you can feel the energy and what it meant for the city when you look at it.
“Off the ice, I looked at him and how everyone loved him, well, I don’t want to say idolize, but when he spoke, everyone listened. He had this aura around him. He would walk down the hall, whether he was going to shower or work out, and everyone would just kind of step aside because he had so much respect. And rightly so.
“He had so much presence. He didn’t need to say much. He let his actions speak for him. And what I admire about that is he was such a great captain, a great leader, a great team guy.
As Domi’s NHL career has progressed, Sundin has always been by his side, coming to Toronto to watch his games and giving advice on how to stay physically fit as Max gets older.
“We talked a lot about offseason training,” Sundin said. “I mean, the guys today are in such great shape and doing great. And the Toronto Maple Leafs have a great setup there.
“Still, it’s nice to be there for him and talk about hockey with him and general questions around the game. Like I said, just try to be there for him.
Sundin will do more than that on Thursday. Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said the Maple Leafs legend will join them for a staff dinner here in Stockholm as part of the team’s day off.
For Max, seeing Sundin will further motivate him to achieve one of the main goals of his career.
“I think Mats is still underrated when the story focuses on him,” Max said. “And think about that. My dad and Mats, despite all the great things they accomplished, never won the Stanley Cup with the Leafs.
“I think there’s some unfinished business there, not just for me, but for all three of us.”
