There may not have been two siblings to play in the National Hockey League that were more in tune with one another than Henrik and Daniel Sedin, who played their entire respective NHL careers side by side with the Vancouver Canucks.
During their playing careers, they won multiple accolades and helped Vancouver not only to several successful regular season finishes, but also to within a victory of what would have been the club’s first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history in 2011, though they fell short against the Boston Bruins.
Times are tough for the Canucks right now, who were not only the worst club in the NHL’s Western Conference this season, but also fell back two spots in the NHL Draft Lottery, ultimately landing the third pick.
Is the club on the verge of welcoming back the iconic twin duo back into the fold in a management role?
NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun Believes The Vancouver Canucks Are Set To Welcome Back The Sedin Twins
The Canucks have already made a massive change in leadership, dismissing general manager Patrik Allvin.
And now, NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun has indicated that he expects the Canucks to welcome back the Sedin twins in an unnamed but considerable management role.
“I think Monday could be a big day for the Canucks. Maybe not in terms of an announcement but in terms of an internal decision being made, and possibly an idea of how the structure is going to work,” Friedman said. “I do think the Canucks have asked the Sedins if they want to take more of a role, and how willing they would be in taking a greater role …
“I don’t know what the titles would be in Vancouver if this is accepted, but I do believe that (the Canucks) have talked to the Sedins about taking a larger role, and they were pondering the idea. … I think the Sedins’ role in this could be important if they decide to accept the mission as it’s been presented to them.
Friedman concluded:
“So, I think we’re kind of awaiting two decisions here. No. 1, who the head of hockey operations will be. And, No. 2, are the Sedins willing to take a bigger role?” he said. “And, you know what, now that they’ve seen how it might work in Toronto — you know, (Mats) Sundin had to move from Sweden to Ontario — the Sedins are already there. It’s not like they would be uprooting their families. So, I think it just comes down to time and how are they feeling. I think it would be a great thing for the Canucks if they get it. Obviously, it’s their decision.”
The Sedins Had Their Numbers Retired By The Canucks
Following the conclusion of their NHL careers, the Canucks honored the Sedin twins by retiring their No. 22 and 33 jersey numbers, which now hang in the rafters at Rogers Arena next to Marcus Naslund’s No. 19, Trevor Linden’s No. 16, Pavel Bure’s No. 10 and Stan Smyl’s No. 12.
Daniel, known more during his career as a goal scorer, tallied 393 goals in 1,306 games, while Henrik, known more as a setup man, had 830 career assists in 1,330 games.
Both brothers were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.
Canucks Reportedly Set To Welcome Back Franchise Icon Sedin Twins