"Sudden": Gets Incredible Respect for His Parents

For two decades, Mats Sundin stood in the center – as a celebrated star in Toronto and Tre Kronor. After his career, the hockey legend has kept a significantly lower profile. Now he tells us why and how life after his career has looked.

» Published:

"Sudden": Gets Incredible Respect for His Parents
Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT

Share this article

Many of Sundin's former colleagues have chosen to stay in the spotlight after their careers.

Peter "Foppa" Forsberg has been a TV expert for many years and has participated in several TV series. Henrik Lundqvist has long been the face of hair care products and has also worked as an expert. And Nicklas Lidström works for his old NHL club Detroit.

If Mats Sundin has been more quiet. After his career, he has instead chosen to focus on his family life, together with his wife and their three children.

I don't know if my absence from the media is something conscious, really. It's more that I've had three kids since my career ended. So that takes up most of my time, says Sundin.

The importance of parents

In his new autobiography "Tur och Retur: My Story", written together with Amy Stuart, Sundin looks back on his life. He writes, among other things, about his childhood, particularly how his parents supported him.

You get an incredible respect for your parents when you have kids of your own, how much they stood up for and drove around. I often think about what it gave me and my brothers to grow up with such supportive parents. You try to live up to that as a parent.

In recent years, the circle has been closed. "Sudden" has taken over the role of hockey parent.

It's damn fun, but it's a lot of work. I'm often at the kids' hockey practices. So life in the ice rinks has continued, but in a different role.

Is it hard not to get too involved and become a coach?

No, it's been easy, actually. I think it's fun to just watch. That the teams, despite being so young, have so much passion for ice hockey is fun to see.

"Feels good to give back"

But it's not just hockey practices and family dinners that fill his daily life. Sundin also devotes his time to a research project.

I work a lot with a foundation, which I have together with the University of Toronto and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Since I played most of my career in Toronto and grew up in Stockholm, it feels good to give back to those places.

Do you ever get tired of hockey, after a whole career?

I didn't play hockey for a very long time, I was a bit tired. But now I actually play one day a week, we're a few former NHL, SHL, and HockeyAllsvenskan players who play. It's just as much fun today as when I was active. So now the days when you can let loose a bit are sacred, says Sundin and laughs.

Born: February 13, 1971, in Bromma.

Lives: in Djursholm with his family.

Family: Wife Josephine and children Bonnie, Natanael, and Julian.

Main merits: First European to be drafted as number one in the NHL (1989), World Championship gold in Finland 1991, World Championship gold in Czechoslovakia 1992, World Championship gold in Switzerland 1998, Olympic gold in Italy 2006, only Swede to score over 500 goals in the NHL, most points of all time in Toronto, inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.

Current: With the new autobiography "Tur och Retur: My Story", written together with Amy Stuart.

Tags

Author

TTT
By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

More news

Germany Wins European Basketball Championship After 32-Year Wait

Germany Wins European Basketball Championship After 32-Year Wait

Roony Bardghji Debuts for Barcelona in 6-0 Win Over Valencia

Roony Bardghji Debuts for Barcelona in 6-0 Win Over Valencia

Haaland Shines as Man City Dominates Manchester Derby 3-0

Haaland Shines as Man City Dominates Manchester Derby 3-0

Tour of Spain Final Stage Canceled Amid Protests in Madrid

Tour of Spain Final Stage Canceled Amid Protests in Madrid

Oliver Solberg Wins First WRC2 World Championship Title

Oliver Solberg Wins First WRC2 World Championship Title

Elfsborg Stages Comeback to Draw 2-2 with Malmö in Allsvenskan Match

Elfsborg Stages Comeback to Draw 2-2 with Malmö in Allsvenskan Match

Finland Narrowly Misses Bronze in European Basketball Championship

Finland Narrowly Misses Bronze in European Basketball Championship

Alex Norén Wins PGA Championship at Wentworth After Playoff Victory

Alex Norén Wins PGA Championship at Wentworth After Playoff Victory

Jamaica Wins First Men's 100m World Championship Gold Since Bolt

Jamaica Wins First Men's 100m World Championship Gold Since Bolt

Kajsa Bergqvist Emotional Over Almgren's World Championship Bronze

Kajsa Bergqvist Emotional Over Almgren's World Championship Bronze

Stockholm Derby Ends in Dramatic 3-3 Draw as Djurgården Scores Late

Stockholm Derby Ends in Dramatic 3-3 Draw as Djurgården Scores Late

Rolfö Shines with Assist in Super League Debut for Manchester United

Rolfö Shines with Assist in Super League Debut for Manchester United

Andreas Almgren Wins Historic Bronze in 10,000m at World Championships

Andreas Almgren Wins Historic Bronze in 10,000m at World Championships

Rosengård Suffers Fourth Straight Loss in 2-1 Defeat to AIK

Rosengård Suffers Fourth Straight Loss in 2-1 Defeat to AIK

Maja Åskag Places Ninth in World Championship Long Jump Final

Maja Åskag Places Ninth in World Championship Long Jump Final

Alexander Isak Misses Liverpool Debut in Win Over Burnley

Alexander Isak Misses Liverpool Debut in Win Over Burnley

Ricky Hatton, Two-Time World Champion Boxer, Dies at 46

Ricky Hatton, Two-Time World Champion Boxer, Dies at 46

Vanessa Kamga Sets Double Swedish Records and Stays in Japan

Vanessa Kamga Sets Double Swedish Records and Stays in Japan

Kramer Aims for World Championship Success in Tokyo Despite Illness

Kramer Aims for World Championship Success in Tokyo Despite Illness

Armand Duplantis Pursues World Record in Tokyo Pole Vault Final

Armand Duplantis Pursues World Record in Tokyo Pole Vault Final