Toronto to Mats Sundin: Farewell to Our Prince

Call him selfish, call him old. Just don't call him a quitter.

He's never uttered that phrase exactly, but that's the precise attitude that Mats Sundin has brought to Toronto from day one.

No matter what happened, he never gave up on his team.

It takes a strong player to be able to thrive in the hockey atmosphere of Toronto. We've seen a laundry list of talents, such as Eric Lindros, Jason Allison, Jeff O'Neil, Jonas Hoglund, Mikael Renberg, Sergei Berezin, Aki Berg, Shayne Corson, Calle Johansson, Trevor Kidd, Igor Korolev, Jyrki Lumme, Owen Nolan, Robert Svehla, and Robert Reichel try to make it here, and fail.

Which makes what Mats Sundin has done here over the past twelve-and-a-half years all the more special. 

With 957 points as a Leaf and 408 goals in the Blue and White, he's the career leader in both categories for the franchise. That, and he's worn the "C" since 1997.

Needless to say, he's made a legendary letter proud in Toronto.

Sundin has been a class act since he came to Toronto: He's never let injuries get him down, he's always put the team ahead of them, and he leads with his heart on his sleeve.

He has the distinct ability to control a game with his actions, and he has the bona fides (15 career overtime winners, tops in league history) to prove he's clutch.

Sundin would dismiss the idea of the team not putting talent around him, and he would never speak lowly of anyone on the team, be it Alexander Mogilny, or Josh Holden.

You could put Lindsay Lohan on this team and he'd make her sound like the Pope.

When confronted with questions as to whether or not he would stay in an organization that didn't appear to be committed to winning, his stance never wavered. He is a Leaf, he will be a Leaf, and he wanted to win as a Leaf.

Too bad we never treated him like the prince that he was.

All too often, fans would readily lash out at their captain, saying he wasn't doing enough for the team, claiming that he didn't have the tangible qualities or the ability to lead, or accusing him of pawning off his responsibilities.

The Leafs would play a bad game, and it would be Sundin's fault. The Leafs would hit a slide and everyone was begging for him to be gone.

Toronto is a city that takes their hockey team seriously. So when something goes wrong, it's only natural that the player to blame would be Sundin.

Where other men would crumble, Sundin took solace. For some strange reason, he feels that the people who berate him at any convenient moment are the people that care about him. They're also the people who rely on him the most.

And Sundin is the kind of man who wouldn't leave those who need him by choice.

Which is why if he leaves Toronto, he'll be kicking and screaming the entire way. 

As a player, Sundin is a rare breed: a blend of size and skill, with the courage of a lion and the loyalty like Jared's to the Subway diet. He carries himself with dignity, and although he's always made a healthy salary, he's always been willing to sign below market value in hopes that the Buds might stock the cupboard with gourmet food.

It took Toronto fans far too long to appreciate their captain, but now that the media is suggesting it's best for him to be traded for "the future," the fans are in an uproar.

It's not like it wouldn't help both parties. The Leafs are next to last in the Eastern  Conference, and if Sundin were to leave, he'd almost certainly go to a contender and have an astounding shot at a championship.

But he still says he wants to play here.

Sundin has never deserved the raw deal he got here in Toronto, and whatever happens, I hope he leaves on his terms.

Despite all the man has been through for this franchise, they haven't given him a championship. So why not let the man have his dignity?

After all, that's what we've been trying to take from him all along, isn't it?