Mats Sundin Will Not Play for Sweden

Veteran forward Mats Sundin, who played a huge role in helping Sweden win gold at the 2006 Turin Olympics made it clear on Sunday that he will not be playing this February for the defending champions.

“There will be no Olympics in Vancouver for me next year,” Sundin said, who has scored 564 career goals in his 18-year NHL career. “I think it’s time that the next generation take over. We have many good players.”

Last summer, this 38-year-old who had his best years as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs wasn’t sure if he wanted to retire from the NHL or not. After being courted by several teams including the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the Ottawa Senators, Sundin, who in 2008 won the Mark Messier Leadership Award, decided he had some gas left in the tank and on December 18 signed with the Vancouver Canucks.

In 41 regular season games in Vancouver, Sundin registered a respectable 28 points and added eight more points in the postseason. He’s not sure about whether he’ll come back this coming season but he does know that now is definitely his time to retire from team Sweden.

“It was the perfect ending of a long career for Sweden, to lead the Swedish team against the best in the world and win Olympic gold for the first time when all teams had their stars playing,” Sundin said.  “I could not have dreamed of a better scenario for my last game.”

With regards to coming back next season, Sundin responded that his decision will definitely come in the next couple of weeks.