Henrik and Daniel Sedin were two of the most unique players ever to grace the NHL — and the Vancouver Canucks will honor their all-time scoring leaders by retiring No. 33 and No. 22 on Wednesday.
The Canucks went well out of their way to select both Sedin twins at the 1999 NHL draft, and they repaid the franchise in kind by both playing 17 years for only the Canucks. Along the way, both Henrik and Daniel surpassed the 1,000-point mark and played over 1,300 NHL games. Henrik, the playmaker, assumed Vancouver's captaincy and owns the most assists in club history (830). Daniel, the scorer, served as an alternate captain and tallied the most goals in Canucks history (393).
MORE: Could Canucks add Toffoli or Simmonds at NHL trade deadline?
The Sedins never won a Stanley Cup with Vancouver, but they are linked to the franchise in a way few other players ever can be. Only 11 players in league history ever played more games with one franchise. In other words, the Sedins are the Canucks.
From their mind-blowing teamwork and ability to cycle the puck down low to looking just so similar, they wowed the NHL for nearly two decades.
Sporting News has the top five moments from Henrik and Daniel legendary career:
The Canucks draft Henrik and Daniel at second and third overall — June 26, 1999
Former Vancouver general manager Brian Burke put together an all-time impressive display of draft-day maneuvering to acquire both Sedins. The twins had made it clear prior to the draft that they would like to play for the same team, but no club had two picks in the top five of the draft that year — Henrik and Daniel were too highly touted to fall below fifth overall.
Vancouver naturally owned the third-overall pick in '99, and Burke made it clear he intended to draft a Sedin. He then traded defenseman Bryan McCabe and a future first-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks for the fourth overall pick, subsequently swapped the fourth overall pick and two later draft picks with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the No. 1 slot, and finally swapped No. 1 for No. 2, allowing the Atlanta Thrashers to draft first with an assurance they would not take either Sedin.
It absolutely paid off.
'The Shift' — Oct. 13, 2007, vs. Edmonton Oilers
The Canucks — both Sedin twins included — hemmed the Edmonton Oilers in their own zone during a power play for over two consecutive minutes in an impressive display.
Daniel Sedin scored the goal that ended it nearly three minutes into the shift on a seam pass from his brother. It was the first of two goals the twins connected for in that game.
The Sedins' final game in Vancouver — April 5, 2018 vs. Arizona Coyotes
The Sedins created some magic one last time in the last game they ever played in front of the Canucks' home crowd.
Fittingly, Daniel scored two of Vancouver's four goals against the Arizona Coyotes that night, including the overtime winner. And who provided assists on both those goals? Henrik, of course, as well as longtime teammate Alexander Edler.
Bounce pass off the end boards — Feb. 24, 2013, vs. Detroit Red Wings
This looks like a set play by the Sedins, but that doesn't make it any less impressive.
Against the Red Wings in 2013, Henrik dumped the puck into the Detroit defensive zone before reaching the red line at center ice — risking an icing call if Daniel didn't get there in time. The twins' apparenty telepathy took over, though; Daniel beat the Red Wings defender to the puck because his brother placed it perfectly, bouncing it effectively off the endboards directly in front of the net.
Naturally, Henrik assisted on both Daniel's goals in this game.
Twin telepathy at its finest — April 10, 2010, vs. Calgary Flames
There is perhaps no better example of the Sedin twins' near telepathic ability to read where the other was on the ice than this Daniel goal in their final game of the 2009-10 regular season.
Then-Vancouver defenseman Christian Erhoff sends the puck on net from the attacking blue line. Henrik intercepts the pass from the left-side faceoff dot and redirects the puck directly to his brother, who had cut to the front of the net. Henrik pulled this off with his back to Daniel, almost like a quarterback leading a receiver in football.
While this was likely a set play, it takes a ton of skill to pull that pass off — nevermind the fact that Daniel scores the goal by pulling his stick between his legs. Both Sedins finished the game with four points, and Daniel finished a hat trick on the play.
Poor, poor Miikka Kiprusoff.