I would like to give Kudo’s to the Vancouver Canucks Organization for the amazing events they hosted this past week to celebrate the amazing careers that Henrik (Hank) and Daniel (Danny) Sedin had playing for the Canucks for their entire careers (a true rarity in this day and age of free agency, salary caps).
I was fortunate, as were many other residents of Vancouver, to see two boys drafted by Brian Burke #2 and #3 in the 1999 draft (coincidentally the birth year of my son) and watch them grow into men over the course of 18 amazing years.
#1 Their work ethic was off the charts and not just amazing hockey players, but ATHLETES.
Even though they may not have been the greatest skaters early or later in their careers, they worked on becoming better every practice and off seasons for their entire career. This not only included working on skating but all other core hockey skills AND balance, agility, strength, aerobic capacity.
This could be part of the reason why; check out this short video highlighting the differences of the Swedish Hockey Development Model vs. other nations and they now have the highest per capita number of players in the NHL as a result.
#2 They were extremely humble during their careers and still are
For them it was all about the team, including when their contracts came up for renewal, they accepted contracts lower than market value so they could help the team succeed which included the amazing run to the Stanley Cup in 2011 (the Canucks third since entered the league but still looking to win their last game).
#3 Founding the Sedin Family Foundation
Founded by both Hank and Danny and their wives to celebrate people, recognize achievements and address the needs of family and children and all the philanthropic fundraising to do so.
#4 They are the second-highest brother scoring duo in the NHL of ALL TIME
** Based on the fact that the Canucks has one of the Hughes Brothers, Quinn, and his brother Jack (Devils) now in the league both drafted in the first round, perhaps they will be the next duo to chase the Sedins record?
#5 – For all those naysayers that thought they were too soft;
Hank held the ironman streak for consecutive games 679 games! Over 10 Years including several playoff deep playoff runs including 2011 Stanley Cup run.
It ended only because of a vicious cross-check in the back of the ribs although he tried to play in two subsequent games and assistant coach Mike Sullivan shared when could not suit up the following game ending his ironman streak;
“The fact he’s been able to play that many games consecutively is just a testament to his determination and how tough he is,” Sullivan said. “Him and [twin brother] Daniel both play in the hard areas of the rink on a consistent basis because they have the puck so much.”
Danny also was durable as Hank but his longest time out of the lineup was recovering from concussion when he was knocked out (literally) by a vicious hit by Duncan Keith
I have called this type of hit the infamous chicken wing, where players raise their elbows up to a players head and knock them out, a type of hit that has now been deemed intent to injure and players have received multi-game suspensions as a result as the NHL continues to focus on protecting the players from what could be career-ending injuries
Ironically when the Canucks played the Black hawks who Keith has been with since the beginning of his career, every time he touched the puck he was booed for that hit in 2012… deservedly so.
#6 – How they evolved as leaders for the next generation of young prospects
Bo Horvat was named the team captain after one season of having alternate captains only in part to respect Hanks legacy as long time captain who took over the reins from fellow swede from same home town Markus Naslund who jersey number also has been retired and hangs high in Rogers arena adjacent to the Sedins and other Vancouver great players, Trevor Linden, Pavel Bure and Stan Smyl.
When Bo was chosen as captain, Hank handed him his jersey in a public ceremony pre-game but this was after the players had been told by Hank who the next captain was going to be in the team dressing room a few days prior to the game.
# 7 – How good they are as people
In addition to their foundation, all of the community work they did and still continue to do including supporting Canuck Place Hospice I must confess I teared up as I sadly had to move my mother from hospital to hospice as she was losing her fight to cancer. It’s one thing for a son or daughter to lose their parent, its another thing altogether for a parent to lose their son or daughter to Cancer.
As I shared several years back, in 2013 I lost both my best friend AND my mother.
When I was at my best friend’s house for days after he passed and helped the family plan his service, all we kept saying is NO parent should bury their child.
I remember how much his parents cried that week and probably still do although they are too proud to admit it.
The work that Hank and Danny as well as all other members of the Canucks organization to support Canuck Place to help families was (and still) is amazing
# 8 – They were top in fitness testing on the team their entire career (although Kevin Bieksa’s roast claimed Hank would come to training camp every year overweight)
As a result of their work ethic, in all the fitness tests the team did every year, both Hank and Danny were #1 and 2 (with a competitive fire to be #1) which set the bar for all of their teammates to follow.
#9 – They were grateful
After their jerseys were retired, they took out a full-page ad in the Vancouver Sun and Province to thank the fans for their support over their 18-year career in Vancouver
In all the years that I have followed various professional sports in the Vancouver area, I think the only other professional athlete that took out a full-page ad was one of their teammates, Roberto Luongo after he was traded back to the Florida Panthers after 10 amazing seasons for the Canucks.
I only hope that the Canucks organization show the same class they showed this season in tributes to the Sedins (retiring their jerseys) and Alex Burrows (Ring of Honour) and do the same for Roberto, the way they handled the goalie controversy with emerging Corey Sneider to become the starting goaltender over Roberto only to trade him for Bo Horvat left everyone’s head spinning, including Roberto who was then back to the starter and eventually traded to Florida to make room for current starter Jacob Markstrom to take the reins.
Roberto deserved better, like the Sedins, was one of Vancouver’s top players for a decade and also a great person.
#10 – The fact they continue to call Vancouver their home
Although some professional athletes return back to their birth cities, countries, they continue to reside in Vancouver and are raising their kids and still supporting current players, coaches, and other Canucks Organization members when asked.
I will never forget watching them play live or on TV over the years and just shaking my head in awe of their raw skill and their compete level.
Their short 3-5 foot passes while cycling, behind the back passes, innovators of the slap pass now common in the league or what wowed me the most were the full cross-ice saucer passes on their forehand as well as backhand literally dropping on their brother’s sticks was amazing to see.
Off-Ice, aside from all the great community work they did, I thought this (and still is) one of the funnier things they did, when they appeared in an NHL commercial to help promote the league after the lock-out season to regain their fan base.
Over and over again this past week former teammates, coaches, general managers, and sports journalists shared the top character traits of the Sedins were (and still are):
Goodness – Decency – Selfishness – Humility – Work Ethic – Leadership
As coaches, please ensure that you focus on reinforcing these character traits with all of your players in lieu of just focusing on the outcome of a game as has become commonplace today with the focus of winning at all costs.
Our calling as coaches is not to make a living.
Our calling is to make a difference by developing youth into adults.
Kudos to the Sedins for their amazing career, becoming not only great players, but great adults before our eyes for 18 amazing seasons.
Kudos also to their original grassroots coaches that helped develop them into the adults they became to set the bar for so many kids as role models.
