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“They’re one-of-a-kind,” said Victor Hedman, “But, obviously, two guys.”
No other quote better encapsulates Daniel and Henrik Sedin, two players that would be utterly unique in the NHL if it weren’t for the inescapable fact that there are two of them, almost exactly alike.
There are ways to tell them apart, of course: their heads have a slightly different shape. Their chins are subtly different, though the identical goatees slightly disguise that. Spencer Gillis, son of former Canucks GM Mike Gillis, claimed that his father used to tell jokes to the Sedins to make them smile, as the only way he could tell them apart was by their teeth, but Daniel Sedin doesn’t recall Gillis telling them any jokes.
On the ice, the only difference between the two is that, when presented with an open net, Daniel actually took the shot instead of passing it to a teammate for an even-more-open net.
Nobody plays like the Sedins. Nobody. Other great players get imitated, particularly as we enter an era where young players have had YouTube at their fingertips their entire lives. Moves which seemed impossible when they first happened — a shot between-the-legs or Pavel Bure’s skate-to-stick move — are now common tools of top young players.
Certainly some of the innovations the Sedins brought to the game have become ubiquitous — the classic slap-pass into the slot for a deflection is an example — but no one does it quite like Henrik and Daniel. The way they cycled the puck and found each other with seemingly impossible passes can’t be replicated.
Attribute it to twin-telepathy, to the many years of playing together, or, like Alex Burrows, to dolphin noises, but what they did on the ice will never be seen again.
A lot of it came down to hard work. Backing up all of their skill was a dedication to details and an innate toughness and grit that saw them barely miss a game in their careers. What enabled the sheer optimism of their boldest passing plays was a surety that they could win the puck back if they needed to.
The Sedins never stopped working. When they lost the puck, they worked tirelessly at getting it back and, more often than not, succeeded. It’s a big reason why their most successful linemates were those that could win puck battles and get the puck back for them, rather than players with good shots. They never needed a sniper; they just needed the puck.
They’re about to play their final NHL game, a Saturday night tilt against the Edmonton Oilers on Hockey Night in Canada. As much as the city of Vancouver has had a week for the news to sink in, it still doesn’t quite feel real. Perhaps it won’t even feel real until next season’s training camp rolls around and those familiar faces (or face) aren’t there.
The Sedins have meant so much to Vancouver, both on and off the ice. They were the first Canucks to win the Art Ross and Hart trophies and led the Canucks to the most successful seasons in franchise history. They donated $1.5 million to BC Children’s Hospital and were even more generous with their time to various charitable efforts. All of Vancouver is going to miss the Sedins.
“This city has meant so much to us, our families, even our parents and brothers flying over, they all enjoy being here and we’ve been treated first-class,” said Daniel on Tuesday before the first of three farewell games. “From both sides, us and our fans, it’s been a good relationship.”
In their letter announcing their retirement, they made it clear that they won’t be going anywhere.
“Vancouver has become home. This is our family's home. We plan to be part of this community long after we retire. Vancouver has given us so much and we've tried to give everything we have in return. That won't change.”
Stick-taps and Glove-drops
A tap of the stick to players and teams around the NHL, who universally poured out praise for the Sedins when they announced their retirement. One theme was immediately apparent: no one — absolutely no one — in the NHL had a bad word to say about the Sedins as people and the praise for their on-ice play was likewise prolific.
A tap of the stick to the Sedins for an incredible final home game on Thursday night. It could not have been more perfect, which is kind of how the word “perfect” works.
Big Numbers
83 - When Henrik Sedin won the Art Ross Trophy, he had 83 assists to go with his career-high 29 goals. The next best was Joe Thornton with 69 assists. Only 12 players had more points than Henrik had assists in the 2009-10 season.
7.3 - Daniel may have been the goalscoring Sedin, but he was still known more for his passing than his shot. At least, until the 2011 All-Star Weekend, when he set the record for fastest time in the shooting accuracy competition, going 4-for-4 in just 7.3 seconds.
