Top 5 Henrik Sedin Moments (so far)

It’s hard to choose the best Henrik Sedin moments for a variety of reasons. First of all, he’s not done yet, so any list you make could be rendered out of date within weeks or even days of posting. Secondly, almost all of his best moments are also Daniel Sedin’s best moments, so it’s hard to focus on just the one twin. Finally, there are too many moments to choose from because he does a lot of things that make you go “Aw man, Henrik Sedin is the best”. In honour of Henrik Sedin getting his 1000th NHL point, I’m going to do my best, though I’ve had to leave out a lot of good stuff. Remember when he passed the puck five hole? There’s also endlessly baffling telepathy that exists between the twins, a few funny commercials, and the way he looks after guys like Bo Horvat. I’m not crying, I swear. Here are 5 of the best moments from Henrik Sedin’s wonderful career (so far).

On the eve of their 40th season (which would turn out to be their best ever), the Canucks named Henrik Sedin captain. Henrik would prove to be one of the best leaders the franchise has seen, leading by example both on and off the ice. The C is just a letter, but it is nice that he’ll retire as more than just the best Canucks player in history. And some people genuinely thought Ryan Kesler should have been given the captaincy. 

Every great player needs an iconic playoff overtime moment, right? Henrik’s came in the first game of the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Dallas Stars. After two full games of hockey had been played back-to-back, Henrik allowed the city of Vancouver to go to bed. Fun fact: Henrik Lundqvist’s identical twin brother Joel is the defenceman trying to cover Henrik. I guess not all sets of identical, professional hockey playing Swedish twins are created equal. 

One of the most magical and memorable things about the Sedins is their offensive-zone cycle. Watching the opposition’s defencemen suffer as the twins seemingly telepathically wheel the puck around has been a treat that no Canucks fan will ever get sick of. When the Sedin cycle gets going, it sometimes turns into a Shift. The capital S means that they’ve maintained the puck for so long that the other team basically just wants to lie down on the ice in the fetal position and cry. They did it back in the days when games looked like they were filmed with a flip phone and they can still do it now in crisp 1080p. This is one of those things that can’t just be about one Sedin. Sorry, Henrik. 

Henrik Sedin leads the Canucks franchise in points with an even 1000. Over a tenth of these points came in the 2009/10 season that saw Henrik surpass every other player in the league and take home the Art Ross trophy. He also won the Hart trophy, given each year to the league’s MVP. No Canuck had ever won either of these. Henrik’s final game of the season saw his brother score a hat trick to essentially secure Henrik the scoring title. I pity anyone who has wasted their time as a hockey fan without enjoying what these two can do. 

The point is that there is more than one way to be a wonderful man while also being a wonderful hockey player and what matters is that they are genuinely themselves when they do good things. Henrik Sedin’s humble demeanor is not forced in that boring way that traditional hockey media sometimes demands from players. Henrik’s personality isn’t squashed into a modest package, that’s just genuinely how he is. 

For me, the moment that will define Henrik – and his brother – will be the anonymous donation to BC Children’s Hospital. For all of the cool things the Sedins do on the ice (more cool things than any other Canucks ever), their off-ice dedication to the community is cooler. It’s fun to cheer for good people and the Sedins are just that. They are such lowkey superstars and are so keen to stay out of the spotlight that their $1.5 million donation to the BCCHF was originally anonymous, only made public when the hospital suggested that the attention may help the foundation reach its $200 million goal. It did. Canucks fans don’t always have a lot to cheer for, but getting to know the real Sedins over the past decade and a half is something worth cheering for. They are special players and special guys.