After Coyotes’ forward Richard Panik took a penalty with just over a minute played in the extra frame, the Canucks were set to go on the powerplay. The twins, like they had done for much of their careers, stepped over the boards, with Edler and young gun Bo Horvat behind them.
They cycled in the offensive zone for the first half of the powerplay, until the puck eventually came to Henrik in the corner with just under a minute left on the man advantage. He passed the puck back up to Daniel, who was parked near the blueline, and the rest was history. Literally.
After pausing for what felt like an eternity, Daniel put his head down, took one step forward and blasted the game-winning goal past Coyotes’ netminder Darcy Kuemper to wrap up the final scene in their perfectly scripted farewell.
The time on the clock went the puck went in, you ask? 2:33.
Like we said, perfectly scripted.
The bench erupted, with players hopping over the boards to mob the twins. The building was sent into a state of pure euphoria, with fans embracing one another, banging on the glass and throwing their hats onto the ice.
After the on-ice celebrations with their teammates ceased, Daniel and Henrik slowly skated around the arena for a few laps, clapping and raising their sticks to the fanbase that had supported them since day one.
Daniel finished the game with two goals and 10 shots, with Henrik following up with two assists of his own, and both players logged season-highs for ice time as well. But it was never about statistics for the former 1999 draft picks. As always, the brothers spoke from the heart during their post-game interviews, eloquently describing what this game really meant for them.
"“I was happy. You couldn’t dream of a better ending in this building, the last time we stepped on this ice,” Daniel stated. “When I woke up this morning I knew it was going to be a big day. We tried to enjoy every minute of it,” Henrik followed up."
In other words, it was the perfect way for the franchise’s two best players to bid one final adieu.
The Sedin twins combined for 2,636 NHL games played, all with the Canucks’ organization. They still sit atop most of the franchise records lists, including points, goals, assists, game-winning goals and overtime goals, and it’ll be decades before another player even comes close to matching their skill.
More importantly, over their 18-year hockey careers, Daniel and Henrik Sedin provided countless highlights, memories and acts of service for the city of Vancouver, so it was only fitting that they were given the storybook ending that they truly deserved.
What are your favourite moments from the Sedin twins? Make sure to drop a comment below!