Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_98I1HiJAdc&t=1s

*AVAILABLE: Screeners, interviews, and hi-res images. Chad.Campbell@viaplaygroup.com

Following a record-breaking Swedish and Canadian debut, the highly anticipated US debut of Börje – The Journey of a Legend premieres on the Viaplay streaming service beginning Thursday, May 2^nd with the first two episodes. The drama series is inspired by the remarkable true story of Toronto Maple Leafs hockey legend and sports icon Börje Salming, including his struggles growing up in a small town in Sweden, finding his true love, and surviving the treacherous and violent 1970s hockey era. The remaining episodes will be added two per week on May 9 and May 16.

Directed by Amir Chamdin (CannesSeries Best Series winner Partisan), the series features rising Swedish star and part of one of Hollywood’s most famous families, Valter Skarsgård (The Playlist, A Class Apart) as Börje Salming, Hedda Stiernstedt (Kristallen Best Actress winner for The Restaurant) as his wife Margitta, and Jason Priestley (Beverly Hills, 90210, Wild Cards, Private Eyes) as legendary Toronto talent scout Gerry McNamara.

The late Börje Salming, who tragically passed away from ALS in November 2022, is one of the greatest legends of all time in ice hockey. He spent 16 years with the Toronto Maple Leafs, was the first European player inducted into the prestigious Hockey Hall of Fame, broke numerous records, captured the hearts of millions of fans, and paved the way for countless Europeans to forge careers in the NHL, the world's best and toughest ice hockey league.

The inspiring series follows Börje Salming’s journey from a small-town Swedish outcast struggling to find his place in society, to becoming a beloved and world-famous hockey player and trailblazer for European players in the NHL. A six-time all-star for the Toronto Maple Leafs during hockey’s aggressive 1970s era, Börje faced violent resistance on his journey - his famously scarred face came to represent an unbreakable spirit that hockey players everywhere aspired to possess.

It’s also the story of unconditional love between Börje (Skarsgård) and Margitta (Stiernstedt), who follows him to Canada. As he’s thrown into instant hockey stardom, she tries to cope with the unwritten rules surrounding the team and norms of being married to the NHL player of the year.

This series has been eight years in the making, long before Salming got sick. Up until his final days Börje was very involved in the project – from long interviews with scriptwriter Martin Bengtsson to giving feedback on key people to interview and important places for the story. Additionally, Börje coached Valter Skarsgård before and during filming.

Filmed in Sweden, Mexico and Canada, the star-studded international cast also includes A.C. Peterson (Tulsa King, Narc) as Harold Ballard, controversial owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Maple Leaf Gardens arena. Oscar Skagerberg (The Last Kingdom) plays Börje's brother Stig Salming, and Pelle Holmström (Partisan) plays hockey star Inge Hammarström. The cast also includes Anthony Bewlz, Jon McLaren, Torren Sylvain, Simon Lööf (Threesome), Kelly van der Burg (Decoys), and Jack Langedijk (Left Behind: The Movie). The producer is Johanna Wennerberg at Warner Bros. ITVP Sweden and the executive producer at Viaplay Group is Sara Askelöf.

The six-part series is primarily in English with some Swedish with English subtitles.

NEW ON VIAPLAY: 

Thurs., April 25: The return of hit political thriller FURIA, Season 2 (6 eps) S2 Trailer

Tues., May 7: Extraordinary WWII true story GOLD RUN, the most streamed Viaplay Original Film of all-time (Trailer)

Tues., May 21: Crime thriller MURDERESSES, a gripping adaptation of Katarzyna Bonda's bestselling crime books (6 eps) Trailer

About Viaplay:

The Viaplay streaming service thousands of hours of premium Nordic and European series and films. Viaplay’s US content offering focuses on the Nordic region’s high-quality and psychologically penetrating titles: from atmospheric and suspenseful crime dramas and provocative and stylish young adult series to award-winning dramas and riveting documentaries.

Now Available:

- Nordic Noir/Crime Dramas: Lars Mikkelsen in Face to Face, an intense interrogative drama; Fenris, featuring mysterious disappearances in a wolf-inhabited forest; Trom, a mystery set in the picturesque Faroe Islands; Detective Maria Kallo, based on the bestselling book series; DNA, a Danish police drama co-starring Oscar-nominated actress Charlotte Rampling; and Black Sands, a dark, popular Icelandic mystery; as well as all three films from the renowned Millennium/The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy

- Young Adult Series: Provocative dramas Threesome and Delete Me and coming of age LGBTQ+ short form series One of the Boys  

- Dramas: The Architect, the award-winning dystopian dramedy starring Eili Harboe (Succession) and called “vicious and funny” by The New York Times; International Emmy-nominated The Dreamer – Becoming Karen Blixen starring Connie Nielsen (Gladiator); and Swedish ‘TV Drama of the Year’ nominee Limbo

 -  Documentaries: The Most Remote Restaurant in the World, a “can’t miss documentary” (Forbes) following the nearly impossible journey of a chef to set up shop in a remote location; Crime Scene Sweden, a shocking in-depth look at infamous Swedish murders; and Liv Ullmann: A Road Less Travelled, a star-studded, intimate portrait of the legendary actress.