June 26, 1999, was a day that modified the fortunes of the Vancouver Canucks for extra than simply the subsequent decade. This, after all, was the day of the NHL Draft that noticed Henrik and Daniel Sedin be a part of the Canucks. Whereas there are some cynics who assume the staff’s success was stunted by the occasions of at the present time, most followers will agree that the selections made by Brian Burke that day triggered a interval of essentially the most sustained success the franchise has ever skilled.
The Canucks drafted the Sedins with the second and third picks of the draft. Though it was anticipated that some staff may attempt to organize a situation the place the Sedins would find yourself enjoying collectively, the obstacles appeared too nice to count on that this was a practical consequence.
However, Brian Burke acknowledged that the worth of the twins collectively was exponentially larger than both of them individually, and he set in movement a sequence of strikes that landed the Canucks the high-scoring pair. It has been 13 years since this fateful day, lengthy sufficient to warrant a bit of reminiscing concerning the day that altered the course of the group.
The Sedin Twins – Humble Beginnings
After all, the story begins sooner than 1999, in a bit of city in Sweden known as Ornskoldsvik. Tommy and Tora Sedin already had two sons, however two extra have been on the best way. The Sedins have been born on Sep. 26, 1980, with Henrik arriving simply six minutes earlier than his “youthful” brother. They have been a humble household, like most Swedes, and Henrik and Daniel grew up enjoying collectively and growing the chemistry that may serve them so effectively within the Nationwide Hockey League.
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They started enjoying collectively at age eight and started enjoying on the identical line at age 14, with their acquainted roles turning into well-defined: Henrik because the dynamic playmaker and Daniel because the prolific aim scorer. The pair continued on to MoDo, one of many high Swedish Elite League groups, having produced NHL stars like Anders Hedberg, Peter Forsberg and Canuck legend Markus Naslund. The Sedins have been named co-MVPs of the Swedish Elite League of their second 12 months on this aggressive circuit, an awesome accomplishment for 2 gamers so younger.
The success they loved at MoDo put them on the radar of most NHL groups. The 1999 draft was not seen by specialists as significantly robust, with Patrik Stefan, a Czech enjoying within the Worldwide Hockey League, tabbed because the possible best choice. Daniel and Henrik adopted shut behind within the pre-draft rankings, with Daniel rated barely larger than his brother.
Most common managers acknowledged the potential profit of getting the Sedin twins play collectively, not the least of which was making a stronger probability that they’d signal within the NHL and go away their place of birth for an extended profession within the NHL. The Sedins and their agent, Mike Barnett, made it clear they wished to play collectively. However on condition that no staff had a number of picks within the high 5, how might any group commerce their solution to touchdown the now-famous brothers?
Tough Occasions in Vancouver
One of many organizations that had a top-five choose was the Canucks. The staff had landed on tough instances in 1998-99, ending with the worst file within the Western Convention for the second straight 12 months, triggering nice unrest among the many plenty in British Columbia.
The Canucks have been simply 4 years faraway from its wonderful run to Sport 7 of the Stanley Cup Ultimate, however the franchise had not been in a position to return to this lofty perch. Kirk McLean couldn’t repeat the magic of his 1994 run within the playoffs and the Canucks made the determined transfer of buying and selling its captain and coronary heart and soul, Trevor Linden, to the New York Islanders for energy ahead Todd Bertuzzi and rugged defenseman Bryan McCabe. Famous person Pavel Bure was additionally traded, to Florida, for Ed Jovanovski and others, and Mark Messier was enlisted to attempt to flip the staff round as its captain, a process at which he was a convincing failure.
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The results of all of the rebuilding was a poor file and the third choose within the draft. The Canucks have been in want of some scoring punch, and Daniel Sedin appeared like a robust choose for a staff in want of a sniper.
Vancouver Canucks 1999 Draft
However Burke, the Canucks’ common supervisor, was by no means one to draw back from of venture. The Atlanta Thrashers (now the reconstituted Winnipeg Jets), one of many groups above Vancouver within the draft, have been poised to decide on Stefan. This meant that the Canucks, sitting third, had dibs on one of many Sedins. This put Vancouver within the catbird’s seat within the hunt to land each of the twins. Burke made it clear he was going to draft a Sedin it doesn’t matter what, so Vancouver was the one staff with an opportunity to land each of the brothers.
So how did Burke pull off the commerce to draft each Sedins? The principle piece of the puzzle was buying and selling McCabe, the robust defenseman acquired within the Linden commerce, to the Chicago Blackhawks. McCabe and a future first-rounder landed Vancouver the Blackhawks’ first-round choose, which was quantity 4 within the draft. Now Burke had two top-five decisions, however he wanted to ensure that neither Tampa Bay nor Atlanta would snatch one of many Sedins at primary or two. Burke traded two later-round picks and the quantity 4 choose to Tampa Bay to maneuver into their primary slot, after which despatched a choose to Atlanta to permit the Thrashers to maneuver to primary with an assurance they’d not choose a Sedin. That left Vancouver with the quantity two and three decisions, which landed them Daniel and Henrik, respectively.
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They paid a reasonably excessive worth for comparatively unproven expertise out of Europe, nevertheless it was a fortuitous determination by Burke. He now had the constructing blocks in place for a robust future for the Canucks.
Vancouver Drafts the Sedin Twins
The success was not rapid, nevertheless, for the Sedins within the NHL. They took yet one more 12 months to construct their sport at MoDo earlier than heading throughout the water to Vancouver. The primary few years have been a wrestle for Daniel and Henrik, as they have been pressured to regulate to the extra bodily North American sport. Of their first 4 years within the league, Henrik averaged solely 36.5 factors per season and Daniel just under 38. Their fifth season was performed in MoDo because the NHL misplaced its total season to a lockout.
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After the lockout, the Sedins’ play started to emerge as they got extra enjoying time and extra duty. Each Sedins turned point-a-game gamers, with Henrik breaking out in 2009-10 with 112 factors, incomes each the Artwork Ross and Hart trophies because the NHL’s main scorer and Most Helpful Participant. Daniel was injured for a part of that season, so his large breakout got here a 12 months later when he scored 41 targets and 104 factors, successful the Artwork Ross Trophy. Although the previous two seasons haven’t been fairly as productive for the twins, they’re nonetheless one of many top-scoring duos within the league.
The staff has additionally loved an unprecedented run of success on the identical time the Sedins have emerged as stars. The Canucks made the playoffs the primary 4 years they have been within the league, led by the “West Coast Categorical” line of Naslund, Bertuzzi and Brendan Morrison. The staff struggled a bit after the lockout, because the Naslund line deteriorated and the Sedins emerged, however starting in 2008-09, the Canucks made the playoffs 5 straight seasons, successful the Northwest Division every year, in addition to the Presidents’ Trophy twice (recognizing the staff with one of the best total file within the league). In 2010-11, Vancouver made it to the Stanley Cup Ultimate, earlier than dropping Sport 7 to the Boston Bruins.
The Sedins retired on the finish of the 2017-18 season, having performed a mixed 2,636 NHL video games and tallying a complete of two,111 factors between them. Their numbers have been retired by the Canucks on Feb. 12, 2020, throughout a ‘Sedin Week’ of festivities.
