Borje Salming's penalty minutes

[LeBlondeDemon10]

Just looking at Salming's career stats. For a 3 year period 81-84, his penalty minutes jumped from an average of about 70 to 140. Can anyone provide any insight into this? The only theory I can think of is frustration because they Leafs were so lousy during that period. But there has to be more to it.

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[Canadiens1958]

Older Defensemen

Just looking at Salming's career stats. For a 3 year period 81-84, his penalty minutes jumped from an average of about 70 to 140. Can anyone provide any insight into this? The only theory I can think of is frustration because they Leafs were so lousy during that period. But there has to be more to it.

Take a look at Bill Gadsby's PIMs once he joined Detroit for the last seasons of his career. New York gave him away for a minor leaguer Les Hunt.

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/g/gadsbbi01.html

Older, slower, relying on smarts to get by Gadsby saw his minors increase and the frustration misconducts followed. Same aging process applies to all players. Some just handle it better.

 

[LeBlondeDemon10]

Take a look at Bill Gadsby's PIMs once he joined Detroit for the last seasons of his career. New York gave him away for a minor leaguer Les Hunt.

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/g/gadsbbi01.html

Older, slower, relying on smarts to get by Gadsby saw his minors increase and the frustration misconducts followed. Same aging process applies to all players. Some just handle it better.

Yeah, I agree in principle, but after that 3 year spike, Salming's pim dropped off again. Weird.

 

[Killion]

Yeah, I agree in principle, but after that 3 year spike, Salming's pim dropped off again. Weird.

I think its as C58 suggests LBD. That and a combination of the mess of a turmoil within the dressing room, with Leafs management at that time, he had some "issues", as in potentially deviated septum, may have been playing with a bit of "rage" if you follow my snow drift? They started inching up there again 87-89 then really spiked in 91/92 in just 38 games with AIK in the Swedish Elite League. Dunno. Maybe a little too much of the old Mothers Little Helper. Take the edge off: put it on as the case may have been... and all that good BBQ to go with.... absolutely idolised still in Toronto, of course in Sweden. Brilliant player. I shudder to think what the Leafs wouldve been without him.

Post career done very well for himself, cookbook, garment mfg etc & this... www.salmingfloorball.com

 

[Canadiens1958]

Nicklas Lidstrom

Yeah, I agree in principle, but after that 3 year spike, Salming's pim dropped off again. Weird.

Nicklas Lidstrom had a similar three year spike starting with the 2005-06 season without the misconducts:

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/l/lidstni01.html

Different players, different adjustment period and circumstances.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Nicklas Lidstrom had a similar three year spike starting with the 2005-06 season without the misconducts:

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/l/lidstni01.html

Different players, different adjustment period and circumstances.

I think Lidstrom's "spike" in PIMs can be explained entirely by the NHL rule changes coming out of the 2005 lockout. Didn't the NHL distribute a video of Lidstrom himself to show what kind of obstruction would no longer be allowed?

 

[Big Phil]

I don't know if it is that big of a jump to create a theory over it. I don't know Salming's personal life at that time but maybe there were issues outside of the rink. Who knows. But his PIM actually started going up a bit in 1979-'80. This was when McDonald got traded by Ballard for the simple reason that he wanted to screw with Sittler. This was followed by two really high seasons with 154 and 170 PIM. Which is the time Sittler left, leaving no noticeable stars on the Leafs anymore. Maybe taking a bigger leadership role combined with frustration? It is strange how it peaked those two years and then down to 104 and then back to the regular 70-80ish area again.

Those were just horrible years for Leaf fans, and it only got worse. The 1970s gave a glimmer of hope but once the 1980s came it was all dashed. Maybe Salming just stopped caring after a while. That'll lead to less penalty minutes I would think. Who could blame him if that's the truth? It isn't as if he couldn't rack up the odd penalty minute either. He wasn't a Lady Byng winner. He once fought Dave Schultz.

 

[Newsduck]

Took a look at Salming's fight card, and sure enough, not too many on there. Two listed for the 81-82 and 82-83 seasons respectively, and none for the 80-81 season, despite 154 PIM's. I don't recall Salming ever being much of a fighter, but in the early 80's, there was a huge upswing in PIM's overall, and it appears he was one of those with several misconducts collected along the way. Ref's used to love handing out double-misconducts...nice way to beef up the PIM's.

PIM's are interesting. Take Ron Delorme for instance. Quite the reputation as a scrapper, yet just one season over 100 PIM's in a nine year career. Some guys fight and rarely pick up needless minors, some guys never drop the gloves, but are always finding themselves in the box.