June 26, 1999, was a day that modified the fortunes of the Vancouver Canucks for extra than simply the following decade. This, in fact, 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 group’s success was stunted by the occasions of this present day, 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 group would possibly attempt to organize a state of affairs the place the Sedins would find yourself enjoying collectively, the obstacles appeared too nice to count on that this was a sensible final result.
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 in regards to the day that altered the course of the group.
The Sedin Twins – Humble Beginnings
In fact, the story begins sooner than 1999, in a bit of city in Sweden referred to as Ornskoldsvik. Tommy and Tora Sedin already had two sons, however two extra had been on the way in which. The Sedins had been born on Sep. 26, 1980, with Henrik arriving simply six minutes earlier than his “youthful” brother. They had been a humble household, like most Swedes, and Henrik and Daniel grew up enjoying collectively and growing the chemistry that might serve them so nicely within the Nationwide Hockey League.
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They started enjoying collectively at age eight and commenced enjoying on the identical line at age 14, with their acquainted roles changing 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 had been named co-MVPs of the Swedish Elite League of their second yr on this aggressive circuit, an important 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 considered by specialists as significantly sturdy, with Patrik Stefan, a Czech enjoying within the Worldwide Hockey League, tabbed because the doubtless best choice. Daniel and Henrik adopted shut behind within the pre-draft rankings, with Daniel rated barely larger than his brother.
Most normal 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 depart their place of origin for an extended profession within the NHL. The Sedins and their agent, Mike Barnett, made it clear they wished to play collectively. However provided that no group had a number of picks within the high 5, how might any group commerce their solution to touchdown the now-famous brothers?
Tough Instances in Vancouver
One of many organizations that had a top-five choose was the Canucks. The group had landed on tough instances in 1998-99, ending with the worst report within the Western Convention for the second straight yr, triggering nice unrest among the many plenty in British Columbia.
The Canucks had been simply 4 years faraway from its superb run to Recreation 7 of the Stanley Cup Remaining, 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. Celebrity Pavel Bure was additionally traded, to Florida, for Ed Jovanovski and others, and Mark Messier was enlisted to attempt to flip the group round as its captain, a process at which he was a powerful failure.
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The results of all of the rebuilding was a poor report and the third choose within the draft. The Canucks had been in want of some scoring punch, and Daniel Sedin appeared like a powerful choose for a group in want of a sniper.
Vancouver Canucks 1999 Draft
However Burke, the Canucks’ normal supervisor, was by no means one to shrink back from a chance. The Atlanta Thrashers (now the reconstituted Winnipeg Jets), one of many groups above Vancouver within the draft, had 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 group 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 sturdy 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 be sure that neither Tampa Bay nor Atlanta would snatch one of many Sedins at primary or two. Burke traded two later-round alternatives 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 value for comparatively unproven expertise out of Europe, but it surely was a fortuitous determination by Burke. He now had the constructing blocks in place for a powerful future for the Canucks.
Vancouver Drafts the Sedin Twins
The success was not quick, nevertheless, for the Sedins within the NHL. They took yet one more yr to construct their sport at MoDo earlier than heading throughout the water to Vancouver. The primary few years had been a battle for Daniel and Henrik, as they had been compelled 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 slightly below 38. Their fifth season was performed in MoDo because the NHL misplaced its whole 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 accountability. 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 Precious Participant. Daniel was injured for a part of that season, so his huge breakout got here a yr later when he scored 41 targets and 104 factors, profitable 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 group has additionally loved an unprecedented run of success on the similar time the Sedins have emerged as stars. The Canucks made the playoffs the primary 4 years they had been within the league, led by the “West Coast Specific” line of Naslund, Bertuzzi and Brendan Morrison. The group 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, profitable the Northwest Division annually, in addition to the Presidents’ Trophy twice (recognizing the group with the most effective total report within the league). In 2010-11, Vancouver made it to the Stanley Cup Remaining, earlier than dropping Recreation 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 had been retired by the Canucks on Feb. 12, 2020, throughout a ‘Sedin Week’ of festivities.
