Tommy Salo

Tommy Salo was considered one of the best goalies of the World at the end of 1990s and was instrumental in Sweden’s national team success in those years. Salo started his career in 1989 with Västerås IK and played there until 1994. He was named as the best goalie of the 1993 Swedish Championships. Salo was drafted by the New York Islanders of the NHL in 1993 and joined the team in 1994. But in his first two seasons with the Islanders, Salo did not see much ice, playing in only 16 games, so Salo played most of those seasons with the Islanders’ International Hockey League (IHL) affiliate Denver Grizzlies (who became the Utah Grizzlies in 1995). With the Grizzlies, Salo helped them win the Turner Cup as league champions in 1995 and 1996, was awarded the James Gatschene Memorial Trophy as league MVP, the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the goalie with the fewest goals against and the Gary F. Longman Memorial Trophy as the 1995 rookie-of-the-year, and the N. R. “Bud” Poile Trophy as the 1996 playoff MVP. He was also selected to the IHL First All-Star Team in 1995.

Starting in the 1996-97 season, Salo became the Islanders’ starting goalie until 1999, when he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers. He was the top Oilers goalie for 5½ seasons until the lockout cancelled 2004-05 season and was selected to the NHL All-Star Game in 2000 and 2002. During the 2004-05 lockout season, Salo played with MoDo Hockey. After that season, Salo decided not to return to the NHL, citing chronic hip pains, and instead played two years with Frölunda HC until his retirement in 2007 due to his hip problems.

Internationally Salo was the top Swedish goalie for nearly 10 years. He competed at three Olympic Winter Games (1994-02), eight World Championships (1994 and 1997-03), and at the 1996 and 2004 World Cups. He won a 1994 Olympic gold, was 1998 World Champion, won silvers at the 1997 and 2003 World Championships and bronzes at the 1994, 1999, 2001 and 2002 World Championships. He was named as the best goalie at the 1997, 1998 and 1999 World Championships and was selected to the World Championships All-Star Team the same years.

After finishing his sporting career, Salo worked as an ice hockey coach. From 2007-09 he was head coach of Kungälvs IK and from 2009-10 was head coach of IK Oskarshamn. In 2010 he became general manager and assistant coach of Leksands IF. He was awarded the Stora Grabbars Märke (Big Boys’ Badge) #158 in ice hockey.