Sundin calls it a career

Mats Sundin, considered one of the greatest European players to ever play in the NHL, has retired.

The 38-year-old Sundin – who took much of last season debating his future before signing with the Vancouver Canucks – made the announcement Wednesday at a news conference in his native Sweden.

“It’s a little sad to announce that my career as a professional hockey player is over,” he told reporters. “I would have loved to play until the age of 65, but as a hockey player you obviously retire a little earlier than that.”

Sundin, who began his career in 1990 with the now defunct Quebec Nordiques after being drafted first overall the previous year, spent 13 of his 18 NHL seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He became the team’s all-time leading scorer during his tenure with the Leafs.

He scored 564 goals and 785 assists in 1,346 career games with the Leafs, Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks.

“It feels good, it comes from the heart,” said Sundin. “I’ve had a long career and have played since I was a child. It’s hard to summarize everything but it’s been a great journey . . . I couldn’t have had a better life than the one I’ve had.”

Sundin said he realized his body wasn’t cut out anymore for the rigours of an 82-game schedule.

“I’ve begun to feel that it’s quite nice to sit on the sidelines and not play a match every day, and that’s why I feel this is the right decision,” said Sundin, who married Josephine Johansson last month in Stockholm.

“My body isn’t up to the every day wear-and-tear of the NHL anymore.”

Despite his NHL longevity, he never had a chance to hoist the Stanley Cup. While he was disappointed, he had no regrets.

“A Stanley Cup ring would’ve been nice to have, but in all honesty I’ve experienced and won so much since I landed in Quebec as a 19-year-old. It feels like I’ve experienced so much more than I could ever have imagined,” he said.

Sundin, who was born in Bromma, Sweden, was selected first overall by the Nordiques in the 1989 NHL entry, becoming the first European-born player in NHL history to be selected in the top spot.

He made his NHL debut in 1991-92, scoring 23 goals and 36 assists in 80 games, and after three seasons in Quebec was traded in 1994 to the Maple Leafs. The trade, which also saw Garth Butcher, Todd Warriner and a draft pick go to the Leafs, saw another Toronto icon, Wendel Clark, Sylvain Lefebvre, Landon Wilson and a draft pick head to Quebec.

Sundin became the first European captain in Leafs history during the 1996-97 season when Doug Gilmour was traded to the New Jersey Devils. He was the team’s 16th captain and held the role until the end of the 2007-08 season, becoming the longest-serving European captain in the history of the NHL.

Considered one of the greatest Leafs of all-time, Sundin scored more than 20 goals in each of his 13 seasons in Toronto, including 10 seasons with more than 30 goals.

Late in the 2007-08 season, Sundin declined to waive his no-trade clause and subsequently became an unrestricted free agent that summer.

Despite being courted by several teams, including the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens, Sundin signed a pro-rated $8.6-million, one-year contract in December with the Vancouver Canucks. He finished the season with nine goals and 19 assists in 41 games.

Sundin, played in eight NHL all-star games and was named to the NHL’s post-season second all-star team in 2002 and 2004.

Internationally, he played in the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics with Team Sweden, captaining his country to the gold medal in 2006 in Turin, Italy.

He also helped the Swedes to IIHF world championship titles in 1991, 1992 and 1998.