Tommy Salo - Swedish ex-hockey player (goalkeeper): career and interesting facts

Tommy Salo - Swedish professionalex-hockey player, acting on the position of the goalkeeper. After the completion of the playing career, he was engaged in coaching activities, he directed Swedish hockey teams from the lower divisions. In the period from 2010 to 2014 he was the general manager of the hockey club "Lexand" from the league SHL. The Swedish goalkeeper is the world champion in 1998, the two-time silver medalist of the World Championship (1997 and 2003) and the four-time bronze medalist of the world championship (1994, 1999, 2001 and 2002). The hockey player's height is 183 centimeters, weight - 83 kilograms.

Tommy Salo - biography

He was born on February 1, 1971 in the city of Surahammare,Sweden. In his childhood, like a lot of Swedish guys, he dreamed of becoming a professional hockey player. His idols were such great hockey players as Börje Salming (Sweden), Boris Mikhailov, Valery Kharlamov (both USSR), Wayne Gretzky (Canada) and many others. At the age of eight I enrolled in the local section, where the coach saw the goalkeeper's talent in the guy. At that time, the physical parameters and characteristics of Tommy were much different from peers - it was stronger, stronger and higher.

Since that moment Tommy Salo began to train exactly as a goalkeeper, although he dreamed of becoming an attacker. Between 1989 and 1994, he played for the Swedish club Västerås.

New York Islanders

In 1994 the young Swedish goalkeeper became a playerthe famous club from the USA "New York Islanders". The debut entrance to the ice in the "iils" sweater took place on April 11, 1995 in a duel with the club "Tampa Bay Lightning". The first and only victory of the "New York Islanders" with Tommy Salo at the gate took place on April 18 in a game against the "Quebec Nordis". In the debut season, Tommy's statistics accounted for 90.5% of the punches (the main goalkeepers of the team Tommy Soderston and Jamie McLennan had a score of 90.2 and 87.3% respectively). As part of the "iils" played until 1999. In 1995 he received a personal award "the best newcomer of the season and the most valuable player in the NHL." In 1995 and 1996, he won the Turner Cup.

Edmonton Oilers

In 1999, Tommy Salo accepted the proposalCanadian club "Edmonton Oilers" and became his goalkeeper. The debut game took place against the club "Vancouver Canucks". In the first season he spent 13 games, showing the result in 90.2 reflected throws. The next four seasons the Swedish goalkeeper was an indispensable player of the basis of "oil workers". For all four years, his result on the percentage of reflected blows did not fall below 90%.

The 2003/2004 season was the last for Tommy in the NHL. Here he played 44 games. On March 9, 2004, the Swedish goalkeeper was transferred to the Colorado Avalanche Club (USA). The debut on the ice for the new club was held on March 14 in a match against the team "Arizona Coyotes". Despite the good performance of Tommy, he still remained the backup goalkeeper David Ebisher.

From 2004 to 2007, Tommy played for such clubs as "MODO" and "Frolunda" (both of Sweden). In the last team was delayed for two whole seasons (2005-2007).

In 2006 he became the vice-champion of the championshipSweden, ensuring his team to fight for the European Cup next season. However in a season 2006/2007 left on an ice extremely seldom, and upon its termination declared the leaving from the big sports. This decision was argued by the fact that Tommy recently suffered from chronic pain in his thigh. In addition, the Swedish goalkeeper admitted that he was leaving because of lack of motivation.

Swedish hockey player Tommy Salo: memorable career moments goalkeeper

The most memorable moment of the goalkeeper's career -victory in the shootout (penalty kick at the gate, in the common people - a penalty) in the final stage of the 1994 Winter Olympics against the Canadian team. This triumph brought the first gold medal of the Swedish national team in its history. No one has forgotten the missing puck to the goal of Tommi Salo from the Belarusian team in the ¼ stage of the tournament at the 2002 Olympics - in the 57th minute of the match (with a draw 3-3), Belarusian Vladimir Kopatya fired an accurate shot from the middle zone on the Swedes' goal and brought his national team a sensational victory. At high speed, the puck flew into Tommy's face (in a face mask), and after ricocheted into the goal and swept through the scoring line. After the missed puck, the Swedes rushed to recoup, but there was no time left, so they lost.

Coaching activities

On March 5, 2007 goalkeeper Tommy Salo officiallyannounced his completion of the gaming career. In the same year he began to train the club "Kungelvs" (a team from the 3rd division of Sweden). Here he worked until 2009, after which he headed "Oskarshamn".

In 2010, I returned to the Kungelvs anda few months later again in "Oskarshamn". Then Tommy Salo received the post of general manager in the club "Lexand", where he worked until 2014.