The Sporting News named Vancouver Canucks center Henrik Sedin its NHL Player of the Year. According to the story, Sedin received 108 first-place votes, besting Alex Ovechkin’s 86 and Sidney Crosby’s 72. Judging from Craig Custance’s write-up on Sedin victory, it seems that Henrik’s success without his twin brother Daniel (18 points on 10 goals and 8 assists in 18 games) made a big impact on the voting. The Sporting News apparently asked 363 coaches, players and executives to decide who was the year’s best.
“When I was out, he really wanted to show himself and all the people, too, that he could play without me,” Daniel says. “When I came back, he kept playing the same way. That’s probably what brought him to the next level.”
That shouldn’t take away from Henrik’s amazing season in which he earned the Art Ross Trophy with 112 points, blowing away his previous career highs. The question is: will Hart Trophy voters make the same decision this summer?