As Henrik Sedin and the Vancouver Canucks prepared to face off against the Florida Panthers on January 20th, 2017, there was only a single number in their minds: one.
Sedin would be facing Roberto Luongo, his former long-time teammate, captaincy predecessor, and arguably one of the best Canuck players to wear number one on the back of their sweater.
More importantly, he was also on the verge of achieving a phenomenal offensive feat, one that had not yet been accomplished by any player in franchise history.
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And he only needed one more point to get there.
On paper, nothing looked out of the ordinary for the Canucks leading up to the Friday evening tilt against the Panthers. The team was finishing up a three-game homestand that night and were set to hit the road right after to close out the month of January.
But you could tell that the city was ready to celebrate. There was a feeling of excitement in the air, and fans were buzzing more than usual as they entered the gates of Rogers Arena. Sedin, who had recorded a goal and an assist in his previous two home games, had set the stage for another monumental moment in Vancouver.
And he did not disappoint.
The historic goal
After a tough, scoreless first period, the Canucks started the second period on the wrong foot. The Panthers applied relentless pressure in the offensive zone, and peppered Ryan Miller with seven shots in the first five minutes. They eventually opened the scoring, with Jaromir Jagr potting his ninth goal of the season.
Cue the goal.
It all started with a scrambled draw in their own end. The Canucks were fortunately able to come up with the puck and began the Swedish transition out of the defensive zone. Loui Eriksson patiently waited on the blueline, making sure to draw in a Florida blueliner before threading a cross-ice pass to teammate Alex Edler.
Edler, who has played with the club since 2006, was all too familiar with plays like these and knew exactly what to do next. Instead of trying to spring number 33 for a difficult breakaway, Edler instead sent the puck to Daniel Sedin, who was engaging up the right side of the ice.
Fans started to rise to their feet in anticipation as both players approached the offensive zone. Daniel swiftly avoided a poke check from defenceman Keith Yandle as soon as he crossed the blueline, then delivered a crisp pass ahead to Henrik, who had only the netminder to beat.
In one fluid motion, Henrik collected the puck on his forehand before sliding a nifty backhand through the five-hole and into the net.
That’s when the pandemonium ensued.
As soon as the red goal light lit up, the building exploded with cheer and music. Fans banged on the glass, waved their signs and embraced one another. Without hesitation, the entire bench cleared and every player skated towards the corner to mob their captain.
"“When I saw my teammates come on the ice, I lost it a little bit,” said Sedin. “It was very special. If I retired today, I think that was the most memorable moment for me as a player.”"
Even Luongo made sure to congratulate Henrik with a quick glove tap and head nod as he made his way back to centre ice.
Still friends?
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) January 21, 2017
Ya, still friends! pic.twitter.com/9wskgzlLEX
It was a dream-come-true moment for Henrik. It’s not every day that you register your 1,000th career point against the team you notched your first point against, in front of the many fans, coaches and management who had embraced him since day one. Not to mention, his brother chipped in with the primary assist.
The Canucks would honour Henrik’s milestone later that season with a special pre-game ceremony before puck-drop on Saturday, February 4th.
Henrik, who became just the fourth-Swedish born player to record 1,000 points, would finish the 2016-17 season with 15 goals and 35 assists in 82 games.
He and Daniel officially hung up their skates the following year on April 2nd, 2018.
To this day, Henrik still leads the team in points with 1070, as well as in assists, games played, and plus/minus. He was a leader both on and off the ice, and this was reflected in the respect, admiration and loyalty garnered from his teammates.
A first-ballot Hall of Famer in the eyes of many, Henrik will be eternalized as one of the greatest captains in franchise history. It will be hard to come by another player with similar vision, play-making abilities and determination as he.
One thing is guaranteed, though.
January 20th, 2017 will always be remembered as the night Henrik became Henr1K.