Mats Sundin to Have Number Retired By Leafs

Mats Sundin will soon be joining some of the Maple Leafs atop the Air Canada Centre, and let me tell you, that's a very exclusive and honored list.

The career scoring leader will be honored before the Feb. 11 game against the Canadiens when his No. 13 is finally raised to the rafters of the Centre. Sundin is the 18th player to have his number retired by the Leafs.

Bill Barriko's No. 5 and Ace Bailey's No. 6 are the only numbers that are officially retired. The other numbers can still be worn by current players. However, no one has donned No. 13 for the Leafs since Mats Sundin.

This announcement was made midway through the first period in the Leafs' win over the Penguins Saturday night.

Leafs fan gave him a standing ovation that lasted throughout an entire TV timeout. 19,256 at the game let him know how revered that he remains in the city.

"To be recognized in that way, you're never going to feel like you deserve it," he said. "I'm just happy to be mentioned in the same breath as Borje Salming, Darryl Sittler and all these great legends of the game of hockey."

This was Sundin's first time back at the arena since 2009 when he retired. He played for the Maple Leafs from 1994-08, collecting 987, which included 420 games in 981 games played with the Leafs.

Sundin won a Gold Medal at the Olympics with Sweden in 1996. However, he was unable to bring that elusive Stanley Cup to hockey-mad Toronto.

But you know what? Sundin is a player that I'll always have respect for as a fan. His dedication to hockey and to the Maple Leafs is a symbol for hockey people everywhere. It was an honor to have Sundin playing in the NHL and because of all that, he deserves to have his number lifted to the rafters.

We all look forward to seeing his number at the top of Air Canada Centre on Feb. 11. His dedication, his loyalty, his skill, and his passion for hockey has made him one of the greatest players ever.

So what do you think? Where does Mat Sundin rank on your all-time greatest players? If you're a Leafs fan or just a follower of them, where do they rank on your all-time greatest Leafs list?

Fans, check out this YouTube video, showing the announcement of Mats Sundin. As I said before, the standing ovation lasted through the timeout and it great.