The rise of Daniel and Henrik Sedin as the Vancouver Canucks’ new co-presidents of hockey operations is about a lot more than changing the team on the ice. It’s also about repairing the relationship between a hockey club and the province it serves.

The Sedins and new general manager Ryan Johnson will have their work cut out for them, as rebuilding the Canucks into a Stanley Cup contender will require patience and smart decision-making over the next few years. But changing the culture around the organization off the ice is something the new-look front office can give immediate attention to and requires a serious reset for a franchise in desperate need of one.

Community initiatives were a pillar of the Canucks organization throughout the 2000s and 2010s. It wasn’t uncommon for players to make regular visits to the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, the BC Children’s Hospital, or be out and about at various community events across British Columbia on their off days.

The Sedins, in particular, are no strangers to being active community members. It was something instilled in them by former Canucks GM Brian Burke after he drafted the twins in 1998.

“When we flew into the city, Brian Burke told us that this was the number one organization in the league when it comes to community involvement,” Daniel told reporters on Thursday at their introductory press conference.

Christmas visits, pumpkin carving with the kids at Halloween, handing out newspapers on the street for Raise-a-Reader Day — you name it, and the Sedins and their Canucks teammates were always there. That expectation was passed down from team to team, player to player, front office to front office for quite some time. But sometime after the COVID-19 pandemic, that involvement dropped off, and visits to local hospitals and community events became far and few between.

Whether it was due to employee turnover during the early 2020s, leadership issues in the Canucks’ locker room, or some combination of the two, the significant drop-off was felt locally. And it’s affected the club’s standing with citizens as good neighbours, with patience wearing thin for both the on-ice and off-ice product over the last half-decade.

The Sedins have undoubtedly noticed that trend and fully expect to restore that core belief under their leadership. Taking part in club-mandated events is one thing, but going out of the way to be involved locally on your own time is another. That connection between a team and the city goes a long way to establishing lifelong fans, provides an avenue for people to see a more human side of their favourite players, and gives Canucks the opportunity to grow and become a part of a city’s cultural fabric in a more meaningful way. Henrik and Daniel have done all of those things.

“We need to get to that point, we should be the number one organization in the NHL when it comes to community involvement, and we’re going to ask our players to do a lot,” Daniel said. “I think it’s so important for us as players when we did those things. I think it puts perspective in life. I think fans will respect you might have a bad game here and there, but if you’re out, you do the work in the community, I think they can certainly buy into what we’re trying to be.”

“That’s a big part of the connected piece as well,” Henrik added on. “We’ve got to bring that back, and just to have the people in the city and this province to be proud to be Canucks fans again, and that’s part of it.”