Salming 'glad to still be here' after having coronavirus symptoms

Borje Salming thought he was going to die.

The Hall of Fame defenseman, who turned 69 on Friday, said he is thankful to be alive after being rushed to the hospital with respiratory issues early last month. Though Salming showed symptoms of the coronavirus, he was not tested for it.

"It was scary," Salming told NHL.com from Sweden. "I was having problems breathing. At times I couldn't even breathe. I was shivering and shivering. It was awful."

He paused to collect his thoughts.

"I felt like I was dying," he said, his voice crackling with emotion. "I thought I was. That's how bad it was. You can't really describe it. I was so sick. I really did think, 'Well, this could be it.'

"Thankfully the ambulance came and rushed me to the hospital."

Salming was released after one day and has been in self-quarantine at his Stockholm-area home since.

"I'm getting back to being myself," he said. "I'm not all the way back, but it's getting better. I've been taking care of myself with [social distancing] and am now able to go on the odd walk or bike ride.

"I was never told if I had [the coronavirus] or not. At the time, it hadn't really gripped Sweden yet like it's gone on to do. It was a little before that. Whatever it was, I made sure to stay at home, take care of myself and do whatever it took to try to get better."

Salming played 16 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs (1973-89) before finishing his NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings (1989-90). He had 787 points (150 goals, 637 assists) in 1,148 NHL games and in 1996 became the first Sweden-born player to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players.

Salming is using his status as a legend in his native country to help people. He's begun making regular appearances on a Swedish radio station offering advice to listeners who are on edge during the pandemic.

"Once I felt strong enough again, it's something I wanted to do," he said. "People are scared. I know the feeling. And if my notoriety means I have a voice people feel they can listen to and feel better about what's going on around them, that's a real positive.

"I just talk to them and try to ease their fears. I want them to know I'm just like them, with the same fears, the same questions, all of it. I just want them to know I'm there for them."

Asked about celebrating another birthday, he chuckled.

"What I've just been through brings you perspective," he said. "You appreciate just being able to be around to celebrate. I'm glad to still be here and help out any way I can.

"When I look back at that one moment, it didn't look good."