The closest Mats Sundin came to winning the Stanley Cup was in 2002. The Toronto Maple Leafs were playing in Game 6 against the Carolina Hurricanes in the conference finals.

With seconds remaining, Sundin shot and scored to tie the score at 1-1. But the Hurricanes would win in overtime, thus cutting off the Leafs’ race in the final.

“It’s devastating, everyone is crying,” Sundin said. The current guest host Peter Armstrong.

“You’ve put in so much time and effort since September and you’re a little behind. You win 10 games, but you have to win 16, right? You’re not far off.”

But even though he never won the Stanley Cup, the longtime Leafs captain says he has no regrets.

“I have zero. Because, you know, hockey… it gave me and my family so much unexpected happiness. And everything we have today is because of hockey,” said Sundin said.

The Swedish hockey player spent 13 seasons in Toronto, including 11 seasons as team captain. Sundin details that career and the rest of his life in his new memoir, At home and away.

WATCH | Why Mats Sundin says he has ‘no’ regrets about his hockey career

Mats Sundin explains why he doesn’t regret not winning the Stanley Cup

The former Maple Leafs captain said losing two conference finals at the time was “devastating,” but at the same time, hockey brought him and his family so much happiness.

Play in Toronto

Sundin first arrived in Toronto in 1994, when he was traded from the Quebec Nordiques to the Maple Leafs in a deal that included franchise icon Wendel Clark.

This gave Sundin some big skates to fill, but he ended up going above and beyond. Sundin continued to leave a permanent mark on the franchise, leaving the team as its all-time leader with 420 goals and with the most points with 987.

And although Sundin played a short stint for the Vancouver Canucks before retiring in 2009, he says nothing compares to playing for the Leafs.

The place to win the Stanley Cup is in Toronto because that’s where it would mean the most-Mats Sundin

“There’s no market like playing in Toronto,” Sundin said.

“The players, I don’t care if they grew up in Toronto, until they put on the blue and white jersey and actually represent the Maple Leafs, it’s impossible to understand what that means.”

But it’s a harder market to tap into, Sundin says. There is more pressure in Toronto. The team is scrutinized at all times. And every time a team comes to town, you get their best game, even if you’re far from the team to beat.

Hope for the Stanley Cup

Despite the challenges associated with playing for the Maple Leafs, Sundin says there is no other place he would have wanted to win a title more.

“The place to win the Stanley Cup is in Toronto because that’s where it matters the most,” Sundin said.

He recently had the opportunity to see the next team that has a chance of achieving that goal. Sundin was at Leafs training camp before this season.

“I’m very impressed with the team. Obviously. I think everyone who watches the team knows what they can do on the ice,” Sundin said.

The former captain had some advice for star Auston Matthews and co.

“Just keep driving and become a really tight group that buys into the coaches’ program and they’re going to have a great spring,” Sundin said.

When asked if they had a chance of winning it all, he replied “of course.”

“Toronto Maple Leafs fans deserve the Stanley Cup. And it’s been a long time. And you know it hurts that I didn’t get to do it, when I look back on it. But it’s going to happen. It’s just a matter of time,” Sundin said.