Photo Credit: Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports

Though the Vancouver Canucks have been eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs prior to the beginning of the tournament, star first-line forwards Daniel and Henrik Sedin won’t be heading over to Europe to dominate on the international ice surface at the World Championships.

“Both me and Henrik (have) declined World Championship (invites) due to injury,” Daniel is quoted as telling Expressen (via google translate). “We have informed (Team Sweden’s head coach) Pär Mårts.”

That the twins were battling through injury should come as a surprise to anyone who watched them play with the puck on a string in Vancouver’s ill-fated first round series against the Calgary Flames.

Sure they were taking optional skates off and Daniel appeared to be testing out his right leg on several occasions after awkward collisions or big hits, but it didn’t seem to neuter their effectiveness. Surely their injuries had less of an impact on their performance and production than, say, having Jannik Hansen camp out in the high slot while they tried to execute a two-man cycle game did.

Anyway the twins won’t get an opportunity to reprise their gold medal winning World Championship performance from 2013 this year. Not that it matters to casual Canucks fans necessarily, but for massive hockey nerds, watching the twins run Marts’ always potent power play on the big ice surface during the mid-afternoon for a week in late May is usually good fun. 

While the twins won’t be at the Worlds and neither will Hansen (similarly for injury reasons, according to an Expressen report), Canucks centre Nick Bonino has accepted an invite to represent the Untied States of America at the tournament. Also it seems possible that Eddie Lack could suit up for the Tre Kronor. 

“It would definitely be a blast to play the World (Championships),” Lack told Expressen, (via google translate). “This year I have no (major injuries) either, so it would be fun… But they’ve probably already three good goalkeepers.”

Sweden already have Jhonas Enroth and Anders Nilsson set to play at the tournament, so it would seem that there could be a space for Lack if he wants it.