Vancouver Canucks: Looking back at our favourite Sedin moments

With Daniel and Henrik Sedin now retired, our staff at The Canuck Way sat down to share each of our favourite moments regarding the twins’ epic careers. Have a look at which Sedin memories lasted the most for each of us.

2018-19 will be a new era of hockey for the Vancouver Canucks, with captain Henrik Sedin and twin brother Daniel retiring from the NHL — and the two retire as the greatest players in franchise history.

Henrik retires as the all-time leader in franchise scoring with 1,070 points, and he has the 2010 Art Ross and Hart Trophies on his name. Daniel sits second with 1,041 — having won the Art Ross in 2011. Both twins also helped Sweden win gold at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, and each is a lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Though the Sedins will never skate another NHL game, it’s only been 48 hours since they last suited up for the Canucks. Consider that they spent 18 years with the franchise, and it’s reasonable for us to take more time and reflect on their epic careers.

Here at The Canuck Way, our staff each took some time to share our favourite Sedin moments. Read on and enjoy, and feel free to leave your favourite moments in the comment section below.

Alex Hoegler

There are way too many great Sedin moments for me to count. For one, I witnessed three Daniel Sedin winners in overtime – none finer than one in Jan. 2012 against the Chicago Blackhawks. But I also recall an overtime winner against the Minnesota Wild in 2006 — classic Sedinery. Watch it here.

But for me, I have to go with the 2010 Western Conference quarterfinals against the Los Angeles Kings. Roberto Luongo was struggling, and the Canucks struggled against a younger and more physical L.A. team.

Trailing the series 2-1, Vancouver overcame multiple deficits against the Kings in Game 4. And with the game tied late in the third period, Henrik made the rare choice to pass on an odd man rush, rather than pass it.

That may have been the most joy and emotion Henrik ever showed in his career. The Canucks closed out the game and would take Games 5 and 6 to win the series. This was just a purely clutch moment by Henrik, and one that saved their season.

Scott Rosenhek

My favourite Sedin moment comes from the 2011 Western Conference Finals against the San Jose Sharks. In Game 4 of that series, the Canucks had a 3-0 lead in the third. Daniel Sedin took advantage of an aggressive pinch and sent a perfect pass to Henrik up the ice.

He and Alex Burrows charged down the ice on a 2-on-1 and Henrik threaded the puck THROUGH Antti Niemi‘s legs to give Burrows the easy goal from inside the crease. The Sedins combined for 18 points in the five-game series with the Sharks, but that goal in particular showcased their ridiculous set of skills.

Tyler Shipley

My favourite Sedin moment in retrospect was one of the hardest moments to live through. The infamous incident of Brad Marchand sucker punching Daniel Sedin three times in the face, with Daniel refusing to react. At the time I, like everyone else watching, wanted Daniel to hit him back, preferably hard and in the face.

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For years after, sections of the Canucks media and fanbase pointed to that moment as the reason we lost. Somehow the narrative of that moment was that we were letting the Bruins push us around. In truth, it was the greatest expression of strength I’ve ever witnessed in a hockey player. Daniel absolutely refused to be baited.

He was faced with a petulant child, trying to goad him into losing control of his emotions, and he proved beyond any doubt that we are each of us 100% capable of controlling our emotions. Being stronger that that which provokes us. Being utterly in command of ourselves.

Looking back, I am filled with awe, pride, and inspiration at Daniel Sedin taking those punches without flinching. Imagine yourself in that situation, being punched in the face; even if you decide you aren’t going to get drawn into a fight, you’d probably try to shove the guy away or raise your arms to protect your face from the punches.

Daniel does neither. He stays there. He doesn’t move. He literally lets Marchand punch him, because he is so utterly unafraid, unfazed, unaffected by Brad Marchand. Like a god watching an ant acting out. No anger, no bruised pride, no desperation to prove that he’s a man, just Daniel Sedin rising above more of the same crap he has his whole career.

Knowing that one day he will retire having never compromised his principles, acted like a child, shamed himself by stooping to the level of a college frat boy like Brad Marchand. And sure enough, Daniel Sedin just retired with his brother like statesmen, like royalty, with the entire NHL toasting their careers and singing their praises. Godspeed Henrik and Daniel, your example will be so, so missed.

Chris Faber

My favourite Sedin moment was more than a shift in a game, it was a shift of power. During the 2006-2007 season Markus Naslund had taken a back seat to the hot new toys that were the twins and they began playing as first line forwards.

Henrik and Daniel both scored over 80 points that season while Naslund and all my memories of the “West Coast Express” were let down gently due to these Swedish twins and their “Sedinary” as Dave Tomlinson was first to coin.

The main memory for myself to remember about the twins is the way they changed people’s opinion as what a NHL first line was. It used to be a superstar shooter with a playmaker and a power forward.

Next: Canucks: Henrik and Daniel what makes a good man

The Sedins made dominance look easy, they didn’t have the hardest shot, weren’t the fastest skaters but they could work the puck and run the boards like nobody has ever seen before, their smarts and underrated strength made them superstars in this league for many years to come but the 2006-2007 season was the year where they changed from “Sedin Sisters” to “Pure Sedinary”.

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