Motivation Quote by Mats Sundin

There is a whole etiquette to how NHL stars praise other NHL stars, and Sundin’s line lands squarely in that tradition: minimal, generous, and strategically exact. “I always thought” signals longevity and credibility, the kind of assessment that comes from years of circling the same opponents, feeling their habits shift from shift to shift. It’s not a hot take or a retirement-night script; it’s a veteran’s stamp of authenticity.

Naming Ray Bourque also matters. Bourque isn’t just any rival; he’s an emblem of a certain hockey ideal: relentless, technically clean, durable, and quietly punishing. By choosing “great competitor” instead of “great defenseman” or “great leader,” Sundin widens the compliment beyond skill into character. Competitiveness in hockey is code. It’s the willingness to suffer through the ugly parts of the sport, to keep your game intact when the ice tilts, to be reliable when playoff hockey turns every possession into a small, exhausting argument.

The subtext is respectful hierarchy and cross-position recognition: a center acknowledging how a defenseman can dictate the terms of battle. There’s also a cultural hint of Swedish restraint meeting NHL honor culture. Sundin avoids mythmaking, but he still participates in the league’s moral economy, where the highest praise isn’t flash or fame; it’s being hard to play against, night after night, for years.