Forward Mats Naslund had already established himself as a bonafide star forward in the Swedish Elite League before joining the Montreal Canadiens for the 1982-83 season. Naslund had played with the powerful Brynas IF Gavle team and was one of the club's top offensive stars and was a key member of Team Sweden at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. Upon arriving in Montreal, the Canadiens immediately inserted Naslund into the starting lineup where he played eight years, missing just 23 games over that span, displaying incredible resiliency for a man of just 5'7" and 160 pounds.
Naslund's best personal offensive season in the NHL was in 1985-86 when he scored 43 goals and 110 points. The fantastic regular season was capped with an amazing Stanley Cup championship with a finals victory over the Calgary Flames. In 20 playoff games he produced 19 points and was a candidate for the Conn Smythe trophy, given to the MVP of the postseason.
At the age of 30, while still very much on top of his game, the three-time NHL all-star elected to leave the league and continue his hockey career in Europe. He also appeared in three Canada Cup tournaments in 1984, 1987 and 1991 and also suited up for Sweden in the 1992 and 1994 Olympics. At 35, Naslund signed a free-agent contract with the Boston Bruins in 1994-95, but appeared in just 34 games before deciding it was time to retire.
Mats Naslund is one of Sweden's "Great Three" who, along with Hakan Loob and Tomas Jonsson, has won the national championship, the World Championship, Olympic gold and the Stanley Cup. The three played together on Sweden's national Tre Kronor and sometimes against each other in the NHL.
