In a heartfelt letter to Vancouver Canucks fans, Henrik and Daniel Sedin announced that they’re retiring from the NHL after this season ends.
The letter made it sound like they’re ready to hang up their skates instead of playing overseas in Sweden or the KHL, too:
Being part of the Canucks family for 18 seasons has been the best period of our lives. But it’s time to focus on our families and life after hockey. It’s time to help with homework every night. It’s time to be at every birthday party and to stand in the cold at every hockey rink, soccer game and riding lesson on weekends. It’s time to be at home for dinner every night.
The Sedin twins referencing 18 seasons with the Canucks really drives home just how long they’ve been a fixture in that organization. It probably also helps explain how hockey fans took those cycling siblings for granted; while we’ll probably never see a combination quite like them again, the Sedins have been a crucial part of the Canucks franchise since 2000-01.
It all began when Brian Burke made a complicated set of trades to land the Sedins with the second and third picks of the 1999 NHL Draft. Take a step back for a moment and observe the sheer volume of their great work:
Daniel Sedin, second pick in 1999: 2010-11 Pearson winner, 391 goals, 1,038 points in 1,303 regular-season games. Daniel also collected 71 points in 102 playoff games, including 20 in 25 games during the Canucks’ run to Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.
Henrik Sedin, third pick in 1999: 2009-10 Hart winner, 240 goals, 1,068 points in 1,327 regular-season games. Henrik generated 78 points in 105 playoff games, with 22 points in 25 games during that 2011 run.
Daniel was “The Shooting Sedin,” while Henrik was the center who managed to snag an MVP trophy. There was never much sense debating which Sedin was better, as they were always so conjoined on the ice (although it’s still a fun argument to have). It was also amusing to imagine how either one would fare without the other, although such a novelty would probably feel wrong for more than just the twins in due time.
The Sedins announced their retirement with the Canucks holding three more games on their schedule: home games against the Golden Knights (Tuesday) and Coyotes (Thursday), along with a final contest against the Oilers in Edmonton on Saturday. It’s very much in keeping with the spirit of the Swedish brothers to avoid anything but the most dignified of a “farewell tour.”
You can read the full letter here, but one other passage stands out, as they praise Travis Green for laying down a foundation for the future. They don’t mention how difficult it is to imagine the Canucks without them, though, of course:
It’s time to let the next generation of young players lead the Canucks. Travis is building a strong culture and emphasizes a style of play we know will be successful. The team is in great hands, with people who care about its success and it’s headed in the right direction. We know there is a bright future for the Canucks.
The Sedins eliminated the “will they or won’t they?” questions about retirement, so now we just need to wait for the Canucks to retire their numbers and, if voters know what they’re doing, when they’ll be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Daniel and Henrik Sedin will be eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame in June of 2021.
— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) April 2, 2018
Again, we’re not likely to see a combination quite like Henrik and Daniel again. All things considered, we should feel lucky we had the chance to watch them befuddle defenses for as long as they did.
At least we’ll always have that NHL ad:
—
James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.