What is left to say that hasn’t been said about Henrik and Daniel Sedin? The outpouring of emotions has taken over social media, radio, and TV these last few days as we all found out the same way that the Sedins were in fact, retiring after the season came to a close. Many had suggested it was time for them to move on to make way for the next generation of Canucks and that they were only delaying the inevitable.
The Sedins weren’t exactly slowing down per say but their competition (and even their teammates) were speeding up. They didn’t waver and still ground out the season and considering how bad this team was on paper and on the ice, the Sedins proved yet again, that they were indeed tough.
How could they not be?
Enduring diminished ice time to start the season, watching as player after player gets injured in front of their eyes while the losses mounted weekly, and yet still being asked to be the face of the franchise. That’s grit. When you look at a highlight reel of the Twins they don’t scream “bruisers”, maybe gross dudes, but their ability to outlast the bumps and bruises, the concussions, cheap shots and rabbit punches should have them right amongst the toughest players in the league.
Why would they be gross you ask? I recently started paying attention to Daniel before the opening face-off of the last few games and maybe I missed this from every other game but Daniel has a pre-game “snot rocket” ritual. I cannot find a specific clip to show as there aren’t any out there on the web (how can that be?) but the second there is I’ll post the heck out of it.
Who would have thought Daniel shooting boogers would be so intriguing? It’s quite cool, actually. How has this never been brought up? There could have been memes or even a podcast named in its honor. Oh well, water under the bridge, I guess.
I never submitted my story for the Canucks Army send-off to the Sedins but having some time to think about it there is one story that really speaks to their dedication to the Canucks. It was a game in December 2016 against the Oilers that Henrik Sedin had been battling back issues. It got so bad he couldn’t even sit on the bench in fear it would stiffen up:
Henrik’s
injury problems began in mid-December when he left a game in Philadelphia after
playing just nine shifts and 5:08. He sat out the next two games in Detroit and
Florida before returning to the line-up in Tampa Bay on December 22nd.
The surest sign that things weren’t well came in a bizarre Boxing Day game
against Edmonton when, although he played 20:11 and picked up an assist, Henrik
could not sit on the Canucks bench between shifts and stood awkwardly the
entire game in an effort to ease his obvious discomfort. – Jeff Paterson via Canucks Army
He played 20 minutes with a messed up back and got a point, seriously? Knowing these guys as we all believe we do now, they most likely did not want to let their team down. It wasn’t on them to do that, though, this team was spiraling downwards already despite these problems. As far as Daniel goes, the Brad Marchand incident in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final is crystal clear for everyone and it just ate away at us as we watched him get brutalized and he just took it in stride knowing his retaliation most likely would have drawn a penalty.
When the Canucks lost the Final, many of us cried because it hurt so much or that it might be a long time before the Canucks ever got back to that point. When we cried on Thursday night throughout the Sedins final game, for me, I think it was a culmination of so many reasons. Sure, it’s sad we won’t get to see them play another game for the Canucks after this weekend but that isn’t the real reason.
I cried because the gauntlet that Henrik and Daniel emerged from had to have been one of the toughest battles any athlete, or any person really, may ever have to go through. They took all the blame regardless of its merit, they were called names, labeled “soft” and so many other things that under normal circumstances would break most individuals. They endured for us. They were different.
First of all, they had each other. Getting to play a lifetime as brothers, as twins, as teammates, as linemates, they had each other’s back. Even when their own city didn’t, they stood up for the team at its worst moments. For that, we really should tear up. I honestly believe that they believed this Canucks team could turn it around in recent years. They saw things that kept them playing here, they saw what this team could become or maybe they saw there was one final thing they needed to contribute to get the Canucks back to respectability.
Maybe we missed the reason they stuck around but it wouldn’t surprise me if Henrik and Daniel stuck it out so they could bridge the gap even for a little while. We may not have seen it the way they did but they’re not selfish and they believed there was something still there to give.
On that final home game against the Coyotes we were treated to a special episode of “Sedinery” and as it was said so many times, it was perfect.
Thank you, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, thank you for giving it your all and for being different. Your story has captivated the sports world and rightfully so, you both are indeed captivating. Thanks for not only being different but being the difference on the Canucks and in the community. I am so happy to say you were Canucks from day one until your final shift.
When and if the day comes the Canucks do win the Cup, it will be the final part of your legacy and we’ll owe so much of that to you both.
Godspeed.
Photo – Zimbio