"could go into the corners with half a dozen eggs in his pocket and not break one of them."
- Harold Ballard
That quotation is well remembered by Leaf fans like me. Hammerstrom was probably the most docile NHLer ever. Talented no doubt, he was. As a matter of fact, he and Borje Salming were the first Swedes that preceded the league's Swedish player influx.
"You going to play in the NHL?" (Leaf scout to Inge and B.J.)
"Yah". (Their replies).
"You going to play for the Maple Leafs"? ('' '' " " )
"Yah" (Their replies).
Truth is, neiither Hammerstrom nor Salming really knew much of, nor hadn't heard much of, the Toronto Maple Leafs, at the time!