The Borje Salming Collection

One day while pulling photos for a hockey set in my job as a card company photo editor, I came across Borje Salming. As a long-time hockey fan, I was certainly familiar with the man who paved the way for Europeans – especially Swedes and Finns – to the NHL. Now as a loyal Finn, of course I wasn't a huge fan of him being a Swede, but I did recognize his impact on the game. Often while I'm finding photos of players I look up a few facts on them so I checked out his Wikipedia page.

And that's where I first saw the term Sámi.

The Sámi, whom I had never heard of before by that name, are the people once referred to as Lapps: now viewed as a derogatory term coming from references to their clothing being patches, or rags in their multi-colored designs. They once inhabited much of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia's Kola Peninsula-- hence the term Lapland for Finland's northernmost region. Seeing as a quarter of my family came from this area, it of course made me wonder if I was part Sámi too. My interest in my family background had been rekindled, but in a much stronger sense. No longer was I trying to just put in names and dates and just hunt around, knowing a lot of generalities and filling in specifics. Now I was trying to find out who I really am.

Eventually I found that I had a great-great-great-grandparent who was indeed a member of the Forest Sámi-- those who were not nomadic reindeer herders.

And so, seeing as the half-Swedish, half-Sámi Salming is one of the few Sámi athletes to make it big in a major sport (and according to Geni, he is my 11th cousin once removed), I felt like I should start a collection of his cards and items. I picked up my first few in July 2022. Sadly, only two weeks later came his diagnosis with ALS. The disease eventually took his life on November 24, 2022.

Currently, I am the #6 Salming collector on TCDB.

CARDS

Year               Set                                                                          Number        Notes       

1974-75 Topps 180

1975-76 O-Pee-Chee 294

1975-76 Topps 283

1975-76 Topps 294

1976-77 Topps 22

1977-78 Topps 140

1978-79 O-Pee-Chee 240

1978-79 Topps 240

1979-80 O-Pee-Chee 40

1979-80 Topps 40

1980-81 O-Pee-Chee 85

1980-81 Topps (Scratched) 85

1980-81 Topps (Scratched) 210

1980-81 Topps (Unscratched) 85

1980-81 Topps (Unscratched) 210

1981-82 Topps 33

1982-83 O-Pee-Chee 332

1982-83 O-Pee-Chee Stickers 75

1982-83 O-Pee-Chee Stickers 76

1982-83 Topps Stickers 75

1982-83 Topps Stickers 76

1983-84 O-Pee-Chee 341

1983-84 O-Pee-Chee Stickers 33

1983-84 O-Pee-Chee Stickers 34

1983-84 Vachon Cakes 97

1984-85 O-Pee-Chee Stickers 8

1985-86 O-Pee-Chee Stickers 12

1987-88 O-Pee-Chee 237

1988-89 Esso All-Star Collection NNO

1988-89 O-Pee-Chee 247

1988-89 O-Pee-Chee Stickers 174

1988-89 Panini Stickers 120

1989-90 O-Pee-Chee 278

1992 Future Trends Canada Cup 133

1992 Future Trends Canada Cup 145

1992 Future Trends Canada Cup 188

1992 Future Trends Canada Cup 197

2001-02 Fleer Legacy 33

2002-03 Topps Maple Leafs Platinum Collection 64

2003-04 Parkhurst Original Six 46

2003-04 Parkhurst Original Six 63

2003-04 Parkhurst Original Six 87

2003-04 Parkhurst Original Six 94

2004-05 ITG Franchises 103

2004-05 ITG Franchises 465

2004-05 Upper Deck All-World Edition 44

2005-06 ITG Heroes and Prospects 192

2006-07 Parkhurst 109

2006-07 Upper Deck Ultimate Game Jerseys UJ-SA 135/200

2007-08 Upper Deck Game Jersey J-SA

2008-09 O-Pee-Chee 565

2008-09 Upper Deck Masterpieces 41

2009-10 Upper Deck Ice Frozen Fabrics FR-BS

2010-11 O-Pee-Chee 573

2010-11 O-Pee-Chee Retro 573

2010-11 O-Pee-Chee Retro Rainbow 573

2010-11 ITG Can. vs. World 100 Yrs Of Collecting NNO

2011-12 ITG Can. vs. World Roots of Int'l Hockey RIH-10

2011-12 Parkhurst Champions Mini 10

2011-12 Parkhurst Champions Mini Green Back 10

2012-13 ITG Forever Rivals 77

2012-13 Upper Deck Hockey Heroes HH37

2013-14 ITG Decades 1990s Gold 4

2013-14 ITG Heroes & Prospects 122

2013-14 Upper Deck Game Jersey GJ-BS

2015-16 SP Authentic 128

2015-16 Upper Deck Champs 238

2015-16 Upper Deck Contours 98

2015-16 Upper Deck Ice 87

2015-16 Upper Deck Portfolio 199

2016-17 Upper Deck MVP 270

2016-17 Upper Deck MVP Silver Script 270

2017 Upper Deck Maple Leafs Centennial 90

2017 Upper Deck Maple Leafs Centennial 131

2017 Upper Deck Maple Leafs Centennial 138

2017 Upper Deck Maple Leafs Centennial 147

2017 Upper Deck Maple Leafs Centennial 165

2017 Upper Deck Maple Leafs Centennial Die-Cut 90

2017-18 Upper Deck Centennial Standouts CS-73

GAME-USED ITEMS

N/A

MISCELLANEOUS

N/A