Henrik Sedin
Encyclopedia
Henrik Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey
centre
and captain
of the Vancouver Canucks
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). His identical twin brother Daniel
also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one another. Henrik, a skilled passer, is known as the playmaker, while Daniel is known as the goal-scorer.
Henrik began his career in the Swedish Elite League
with Modo Hockey
in 1997 and was co-recipient, with Daniel, of the 1999 Golden Puck
as Swedish player of the year. Selected third overall by the Canucks in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft
, Henrik has spent his entire NHL career in Vancouver. After four seasons with the club, he became the Canucks' top-scoring centre in 2005–06. He has since won three Cyrus H. McLean Trophies
as the team's leading point-scorer (from 2007–08 to 2009–10
) and one Cyclone Taylor Award as the team's most valuable player (2010). In 2009–10, he won the Hart Memorial
and Art Ross Trophies
as the NHL's most valuable player and leading point-scorer, respectively. He was also named to the NHL First All-Star Team
that year and again in 2010–11
, a season that included an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals
, where Vancouver lost to the Boston Bruins
in seven games. That summer, Henrik and Daniel were named co-recipients of the Victoria Stipendium as Swedish athletes of the year.
Internationally, Henrik has competed for Sweden. He is a two-time Olympian and helped Sweden to a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Games
in Turin
. In four appearances at the IIHF World Championships, he has won bronze medals in 1999
and 2001
. At the junior level, he appeared in one World U17 Hockey Challenge (where he won silver), two European Junior and three World Junior Championships
.
, Sweden, six minutes before his identical twin brother, Daniel
. The pair have two older brothers, Stefan and Peter. Their father, Tommy, is a school vice principal who played for Modo Hockey
in the 1960s; their mother, Tora, is a nurse. Henrik began playing organized hockey with Daniel when they were eight. They did not regularly play on the same line
until Daniel switched from the center to the wing
at the age of 14. Henrik and Daniel attended high school at Nolaskolan Gymnasium in Sweden while playing professionally for Modo Hockey.
. Henrik recorded a goal and five points over 39 games during his rookie season. In his second year with Modo, he improved to 12 goals and 34 points, joint second in team scoring with Samuel Påhlsson
, behind Daniel. At the end of the season, Henrik and Daniel were named co-recipients of the Golden Puck
, the Swedish player of the year award.
The Sedins were considered top prospects
for the 1999 NHL Entry Draft
. Rated as the top European prospects, they were expected to be top five selections and expressed a desire to play for the same team. Their agent, Mike Barnett
, president of international talent agency IMG
, presented them with two options to circumvent the usual NHL draft
process, allowing them to play together. The first option was for the pair to enter the 1999 draft and not sign with their respective NHL clubs for two years, allowing them to become unrestricted free agents. This option required that they play junior ice hockey
in North America, which was not their intention. Barnett also suggested that either Henrik or Daniel opt out of the 1999 draft, in the hope that the same team that selected the first twin would select the other the following year. On the possibility of the Sedins' playing for separate teams, Vancouver Canucks
scout Thomas Gradin
commented, "They're good enough to play with anyone, but separately their capacity might decrease by 10 or 15 percent." Nevertheless, Henrik and Daniel entered the 1999 draft expecting to be selected by separate teams. However, through a series of transactions, Canucks general manager Brian Burke obtained the second and third overall picks, which he used to select Daniel and Henrik, respectively. Gradin notified them of the Canucks' intentions five minutes before the draft.
On 27 July 1999, a month following the draft, Henrik and Daniel signed three-year contracts with the Canucks. As the contract did not require them to begin playing in Vancouver immediately, they announced on 12 August they would return to Sweden to play one more season with Modo. During the 1999–2000 season, Henrik led Modo in scoring with 47 points in 50 games, two points ahead of Daniel. The two brothers played on a line with New York Islanders
prospect Mattias Weinhandl
.
. With the game, Henrik and Daniel became the fourth pair of twins to have played in the NHL. Three days later, Henrik assisted on Daniel's first career NHL goal in a 5–4 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning
. The goal tied the game at 4 with 1:26 left in regulation. In a 5–2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs
on 17 October 2000, Henrik scored his first NHL goal and added an assist on Daniel's second career goal. Henrik tallied 29 points over the course of the campaign – second among team rookies to Daniel's 34 points. He and Daniel played primarily on the Canucks' third line.
Henrik improved to 36 points in his second NHL season; he finished with five goals in his last six games, taking his season total to 16. In the opening game of the 2002 playoffs
, Henrik scored the overtime winner against the first-seeded Detroit Red Wings
to put the Canucks 1–0 ahead in the series; it was his first NHL playoff goal. Detroit went on to eliminate the Canucks in six games en route to winning the Stanley Cup
. During the 2002–03 season, Henrik suffered a sprained left shoulder that forced him out of three games. He had sustained the injury during a game against the Edmonton Oilers
on 14 December 2002. He finished the campaign with 39 points.
After their third NHL season, Henrik and Daniel were re-signed to one-year, US$
1.125 million contracts on 29 July 2003. The Sedins began the 2003–04 season on a line with first-year player Jason King. The trio were named the "Mattress Line" (two twins and a King) and formed the Canucks' second scoring unit until King was re-assigned to the team's minor league affiliate midway through the season. On 7 November 2003, St. Louis Blues forward Doug Weight
was suspended four games without pay for a cross-check
he delivered to Henrik during a game the previous day; Henrik was not injured. Late in the season, Henrik was sidelined for six games due to sore ribs. Over 76 games, Henrik increased his points total to 42. He was re-signed to a one-year contract on 10 September 2004, during the off-season.
During the 2004–05 lockout, Henrik returned to Sweden to play for Modo with Daniel and their Canucks teammate Markus Näslund
. During a game against Mora IK
on 20 November 2004, Henrik received a slash that required a minor amputation
to his left little finger
. He finished the season with 36 points in 44 games, third in team scoring behind Peter Forsberg
and Mattias Weinhandl.
, who played on the Sedins' line and led the team in goal-scoring. The trio matched the scoring pace of the Canucks' top line of Näslund, Todd Bertuzzi
and Brendan Morrison
. Vancouver's head coach at the time, Marc Crawford
, recalled that season as marking the Sedins' ascent as leaders on the team, stating, "by the end of that year, they definitely were our top guys. They had surpassed Naslund and Bertuzzi." During the off-season, Henrik and Daniel re-signed with the Canucks to identical three-year, $10.75 million contracts on 30 June 2006. Despite the team's success with Carter, the Canucks did not re-sign him; he joined the Columbus Blue Jackets
the following season.
In the 2006–07 NHL season, Henrik established himself as the Canucks' top-line centre. Winger Taylor Pyatt
, been acquired in a trade from the Buffalo Sabres
during the off-season, replaced Carter as the Sedins' linemate and went on to score a career-high 23 goals. For the fifth straight season, Henrik recorded a personal best, with 81 points; he set a new Canucks record for assists in one season with 71, beating the 62 by André Boudrias
in 1974–75. Henrik passed Boudrias on 25 March 2007, with a three-assist effort during a 5–4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche
. In the opening game of the 2007 playoffs
against the Dallas Stars
, Henrik scored a game-winning, quadruple-overtime
goal to end the sixth longest game in NHL history (and longest in Canucks history) at 138 minutes and six seconds of play. He struggled to produce offensively in a career-high 12 games in the playoffs, however, managing four points as the Canucks were eliminated by the Anaheim Ducks
in the second round.
Henrik was awarded his first NHL career penalty shot on November 27, 2007, during a game against the Anaheim Ducks. His attempt was stopped by goaltender Jonas Hiller
. In 2007–08, Henrik was selected to play for the Western Conference
in the 2008 All-Star Game
against the East
, the first appearance of his career. He recorded two assists. He won his first Cyrus H. McLean Trophy
as Vancouver's leading scorer with 76 points. His 61 assists ranked fourth in the league for the second consecutive season.
The following season
, Henrik scored 22 goals and 82 points, tying for the team lead in points with Daniel. Steve Bernier
had been acquired in the 2008 off-season in another trade with the Sabres, and began the season on the top line with the Sedins. Bernier was later removed; on 12 February 2009, head coach Alain Vigneault moved Alexandre Burrows
from the third line during a game against the Phoenix Coyotes
. After recording 19 points and three game-winning goals in March, Henrik was named the NHL's Second Star of the Month. He added 10 points over 10 games in the 2009 playoffs
, helping the Canucks advance to the second round, where they were defeated in six games by the Chicago Blackhawks
.
Set to become unrestricted free agents on 1 July 2009, Henrik and Daniel began negotiating with the Canucks in the off-season and were reported to have asked for 12-year, $63 million contracts in mid-June. With free agency looming, Canucks general manager Mike Gillis
travelled to Sweden to visit the Sedins, where they agreed on identical five-year, $30.5 million contracts on 1 July. On 30 September, Henrik was announced as one of the Canucks' three alternate captains, replacing defenceman Mattias Öhlund
, who had signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the off-season.
Four games into the 2009–10 season
, Daniel suffered the first major injury of his career, breaking his foot in a game against the Montreal Canadiens
. He was sidelined for 18 games, marking the first time in Henrik's career that he played without his brother for an extended period. In Daniel's absence, however, Henrik enjoyed a high-scoring start to the season. On 14 November 2009, he scored his first NHL career hat trick
in an 8–2 win against the Colorado Avalanche. Leading up to Daniel's 22 November return, Henrik scored seven goals in seven games. He continued his pace into December, recording a league-leading 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 15 games to be named the NHL's First Star of the Month. The following month, he was named Second Star, having recorded 25 points in 13 games. On 7 January 2010, Henrik moved into top spot in the league scoring race, ahead of San Jose Sharks
centre Joe Thornton
with a three-assist night against the Phoenix Coyotes. It marked the first time in nearly five years, since Näslund was tied with Robert Lang on 18 February 2004, that a Canucks player held the league lead in scoring. During a 3–1 win against the Calgary Flames
on 14 March, Henrik recorded his 416th career assist to pass Trevor Linden
as Vancouver's all-time leader. On 27 March, he scored two assists against the San Jose Sharks to become the fourth Canuck in team history to record a 100-point season (after Pavel Bure
, Alexander Mogilny
and Näslund). He was named Third Star of the Month for March after scoring 24 points in 15 games.
Henrik entered the final game of the regular season, on 10 April against the Calgary Flames, one point behind Alexander Ovechkin
for the scoring lead. He was awarded the Canucks' Cyclone Taylor Trophy
, Cyrus H. McLean Trophy and Molson Cup
as the team's most valuable player, leading scorer and three-star selection leader, respectively. He recorded four assists in a 7–3 win to finish the season with 112 points to pass Ovechkin while also breaking Pavel Bure's franchise record of 110 points, set in 1992–93. Ovechkin failed to register a point in his last game the next day, earning Henrik the league scoring title and making him the first Art Ross Trophy
winner in Canucks history. With 83 assists, he also surpassed his own team record of 71 assists in one season. In the subsequent 2010 playoffs
, Henrik added 14 points in 12 games. He scored the winning goal in game four against the Los Angeles Kings with under three minutes to go in regulation to tie the series at two games each. The Canucks went on to eliminate the Kings in six games before being ousted by the Blackhawks the following round for the second consecutive year.
On 19 May 2010, The Sporting News
named Henrik their 2009–10 Player of the Year. He received 108 first-place votes out of the 353 NHL players, coaches and executives polled. Ovechkin received 86 first-place votes while Sidney Crosby
received 72 first-place votes. Henrik was also voted by his countrymen in the league to receive the Viking Award
as the NHL's best Swedish player. At the NHL Awards Show the following month on 23 June, Henrik, Ovechkin and Crosby were up for both the Hart Memorial Trophy
, awarded to the player deemed by the media to be the most valuable to his team, and the Ted Lindsay Award, given to the best player as voted by the NHL Players Association. After losing the Ted Lindsay Award to Ovechkin, Henrik was awarded the Hart, becoming the first Canuck and second Swedish player (after Peter Forsberg
in 2003) to win the trophy. Henrik garnered 894 voting points, compared to Ovechkin's 834 and Crosby's 729. He admitted afterwards to feeling like the underdog going into the awards ceremony, noting "[Ovechkin and Crosby] are the faces of the sport ... to be standing next to them as the old guy, it's a strange feeling." He was additionally named to the NHL First All-Star Team
; at the same time, twin Daniel was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team. It marked the first time since Phil
and Tony Esposito
in 1973–74 that two brothers were named post-season NHL All-Stars. They were also chosen to appear together on the cover of EA Sports
' European version of the NHL 11
video game.
On 9 October 2010, Henrik was named the Canucks' 13th captain in team history during a pre-game ceremony celebrating the start of the team's 40th season. He succeeded Roberto Luongo
, who had stepped down as team captain the previous month. Early in the 2010–11 season
, he scored his first penalty shot goal on his second NHL career attempt on 1 November. Playing the New Jersey Devils
, he scored on a backhand deke against goaltender Martin Brodeur
. Midway through the campaign, he was chosen to his second career NHL All-Star Game. Playing on Team Lidstrom
opposite Daniel and Ryan Kesler
on Team Staal
, Representing the Canucks alongside Daniel and Ryan Kesler
, Henrik helped his squad to an 11–10 win, recording two assists. Finishing the season with 94 points (19 goals and 75 assists) in 82 games, he ranked fourth in the league behind Daniel, Martin St. Louis
and Corey Perry
. With Daniel winning the league scoring title, the two became the first brothers to win the Art Ross Trophy in consecutive years. (Chicago Blackhawks forwards Doug
and Max Bentley
also won separate scoring titles, but had achieved the feat three years apart in 1943 and 1946, respectively.)
As the Canucks established a team record 54 wins and 117 points, they won their first Presidents' Trophy
as the team with the best regular season record. Entering the 2011 playoffs
as the first seed in the West, the Canucks eliminated the Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators
in seven and six games, respectively. In the third round against the San Jose Sharks, Henrik established a single-game Canucks playoff record with four assists in Game 4, leading the Canucks to a 4–2 win. His first three assists helped the Canucks set another team record for the fastest three goals scored in a playoff game; all three were registered on 5-on-3 powerplays in a span of one minute and fifty-five seconds. With his third assist of the game, Henrik set another team record with his 16th assist of the 2011 playoffs, surpassing Pavel Bure's mark set in 1994
. With San Jose facing elmination the following game, Henrik recorded two more assists for his 11th and 12th points in the series, tying Bure for most in a single round by a Canucks player. Vancouver won the game 3–2 in double-overtime to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals
. Playing the Boston Bruins
, the Canucks won the first two games of the series, but went on to lose four-games-to-three. Henrik finished the post-season with 3 goals and 22 points over 25 games, ranking second in league scoring behind Bruins centre David Krejci
. It was revealed following their defeat that Henrik had been playing a large portion of the playoffs with a back injury.
A week after Vancouver's Game 7 loss, Henrik was on hand at the NHL Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas, having been nominated along with Daniel for the NHL Foundation Player Award
for their charitable work. They lost the award to Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown. For his regular season efforts, Henrik was named to the NHL First All-Star Team for a second consecutive year, alongside Daniel, who earned the distinction for the first time. Returning to Sweden in the off-season, Henrik and Daniel were co-recipients of the Victoria Stipendium, as the country's athletes of the year. They became the third and fourth ice hockey players to receive the award, after Stefan Persson
in 1980 and Peter Forsberg
in 1994. Henrik and Daniel were presented the award, commemorated with glass plates, on July 14, 2011, in the city of Borgholm
.
Entering 2011–12
, Henrik dressed for his 500th consecutive NHL regular season game, having not missed a contest since returning from a rib injury on 21 March 2004. The streak trails Calgary Flames defenceman Jay Bouwmeester
– who at the start of the season, had played in 506 consecutive games – for the league's active ironman title and ranks second behind Brendan Morrison
for the Canucks' all-time record.
. Recording 20 points (12 goals and 8 assists) over 6 games, he helped Sweden to a silver medal. After going undefeated in five contests, they were defeated in the gold medal game by Team Ontario
6–2.
Henrik competed for Sweden at the 1997 European Junior Championships, recording three goals and seven points over six games. He joined Sweden for the 1998 European Junior Championships, the final game of which required Sweden to beat Russia by four goals to surpass Finland in goal differential
and win the gold medal. Henrik recorded a goal and an assist against Russia as Sweden won 5–1.
In his NHL draft year, Henrik competed for Sweden at the 1999 World Junior Championships
in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
. He recorded nine points in six games, fifth in tournament scoring and second in team scoring to brother Daniel, as Sweden failed to win a medal. Later that year, Henrik made his international debut for the Swedish national men's team at the 1999 World Championships
in Norway
. He scored no points in eight games as Sweden won the bronze medal.
In 2000, Henrik once again competed in both the World Junior
and Senior Championships
. At the junior tournament in Sweden, Henrik led the tournament with 13 points in seven games, but Sweden did not earn a medal. At the World Championships, Henrik recorded five points as Sweden again failed to medal.
Following his rookie season with the Vancouver Canucks, Henrik made his third World Championships appearance, in 2001
in Germany
. He earned his second bronze medal in three years as Sweden defeated the United States 3–2 in the bronze medal game. He made a fourth tournament appearance at the 2005 World Championships
in Austria
. Sweden missed out on the bronze medal, losing to Russia 6–3. Henrik had a goal and an assist in a losing effort during the bronze medal game. He finished the tournament with two goals and six points in nine games.
On 22 December 2005, Henrik was named to the Swedish Olympic team for the 2006 Winter Olympics
in Turin
, Italy. He joined Daniel, Markus Näslund
and Mattias Öhlund
as one of four Canucks on the squad. Competing in his first Olympics, he contributed four points as Sweden won a gold medal, defeating Finland 3–2 in the final. Four years later, Henrik was once again named to the Swedish Olympic team, for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver
. Unlike the previous Olympics, Henrik went into the 2010 tournament as one of Sweden's key players: at the time of the roster announcement on December 27, 2009, he led all Swedish players in NHL scoring. Sweden failed to defend their gold medal from Turin, however, losing to Slovakia in the quarter final. Henrik had two assists in four games.
Beginning around the 2008–09 season
, Henrik began to expand his skill-set by scoring more goals. His increased tendency to shoot was given an extra push when Daniel suffered the first major injury of his career early in the 2009–10 season
, forcing Henrik to play without his brother and consequently pass less often. He recorded the first two 20-goal seasons of his career in 2008–09 and 2009–10, and increased his shot totals.
With his offensive skill the prime component of his game, Henrik is known to avoid initiating contact with opposing players. Early in their career, he and Daniel were knocked off the puck easily, leading many in the media to refer to them as the "Sedin Sisters". As a result, players have often taken advantage of the brothers' lack of physicality by playing aggressively against them. This once led Canucks general manager Brian Burke to publicly complain, commenting during a 2002 playoff
series against the Detroit Red Wings
, Sedin' is not Swedish for 'punch me or headlock me in a scrum'." As their careers progressed, the Sedins have worked on their strength, improving their puck possession and allowing them to play more effectively.
neighbourhood, and return to Sweden during the off-season. In March 2010, Henrik and Johanna made a joint $1.5 million donation, with Daniel and his wife Marinette, to the BC Children's Hospital's $200-million project for a new building; the two families requested that it be put towards a pediatric intensive-care unit and a diagnostic imaging area. Henrik commented that it was something he and his wife had wanted to do since Valter was born.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
centre
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
and captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
of the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). His identical twin brother Daniel
Daniel Sedin
Daniel Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , and serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. His identical twin brother Henrik also plays for the Canucks, and is the team captain...
also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one another. Henrik, a skilled passer, is known as the playmaker, while Daniel is known as the goal-scorer.
Henrik began his career in the Swedish Elite League
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
with Modo Hockey
MODO Hockey
Modo Hockey is a professional ice hockey club in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The club plays in Sweden's premier ice hockey league, the Elitserien. They were founded in 1921 and have won two Elitserien championships; in 1979 and 2007. The team's home arena is the Fjällräven Center since 2006...
in 1997 and was co-recipient, with Daniel, of the 1999 Golden Puck
Guldpucken
Guldpucken is awarded annually to the ice hockey player of the year in Sweden. It is similar to the NHL's Hart Memorial Trophy. Normally it goes to a player in the Swedish Elite League...
as Swedish player of the year. Selected third overall by the Canucks in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft
1999 NHL Entry Draft
The 1999 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts. According to Sports Illustrated and other sports news agencies, at the time the 1999 draft was considered one of the deepest in talent in years, headed by Patrik Stefan and the Sedin twins. However, the...
, Henrik has spent his entire NHL career in Vancouver. After four seasons with the club, he became the Canucks' top-scoring centre in 2005–06. He has since won three Cyrus H. McLean Trophies
Cyrus H. McLean Trophy
The Cyrus H. McLean Trophy is an award given out by the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. It recognizes the Canucks leading scorer over the course of the regular season...
as the team's leading point-scorer (from 2007–08 to 2009–10
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
) and one Cyclone Taylor Award as the team's most valuable player (2010). In 2009–10, he won the Hart Memorial
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
and Art Ross Trophies
Art Ross Trophy
The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception...
as the NHL's most valuable player and leading point-scorer, respectively. He was also named to the NHL First All-Star Team
NHL All-Star Team
The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
that year and again in 2010–11
2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
, a season that included an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
, where Vancouver lost to the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
in seven games. That summer, Henrik and Daniel were named co-recipients of the Victoria Stipendium as Swedish athletes of the year.
Internationally, Henrik has competed for Sweden. He is a two-time Olympian and helped Sweden to a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Games
Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics
-Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and...
in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
. In four appearances at the IIHF World Championships, he has won bronze medals in 1999
1999 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-World Championship Group C:Played at Eindhoven and Tilburg, Netherlands April 5–11. Yugoslavia was supposed to particpate in this tournament, but was prevented by the host Dutch government.-Group 1:-Group 2:-Final Round 25-28 Place:...
and 2001
2001 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-Championship:Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2002# — relegated to Division I for 2002# - Group A :Group A was played in Grenoble, France between April 16 and April 22, 2001...
. At the junior level, he appeared in one World U17 Hockey Challenge (where he won silver), two European Junior and three World Junior Championships
World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world...
.
Early life
Henrik was born on 26 September 1980 in ÖrnsköldsvikÖrnsköldsvik
Örnsköldsvik is a locality and the seat of Örnsköldsvik Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 28,617 inhabitants in 2005.Its natural harbour and archipelago is in the Gulf of Bothnia and the northern boundaries of the High Coast area. It is well known as an exporter of paper products...
, Sweden, six minutes before his identical twin brother, Daniel
Daniel Sedin
Daniel Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , and serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. His identical twin brother Henrik also plays for the Canucks, and is the team captain...
. The pair have two older brothers, Stefan and Peter. Their father, Tommy, is a school vice principal who played for Modo Hockey
MODO Hockey
Modo Hockey is a professional ice hockey club in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The club plays in Sweden's premier ice hockey league, the Elitserien. They were founded in 1921 and have won two Elitserien championships; in 1979 and 2007. The team's home arena is the Fjällräven Center since 2006...
in the 1960s; their mother, Tora, is a nurse. Henrik began playing organized hockey with Daniel when they were eight. They did not regularly play on the same line
Line (ice hockey)
A line in ice hockey is a term used to describe a group of forwards that play in a group, or shift, during a game.A complete forward line consists of a left wing, a center, and a right wing, while a pair of defensemen who play together are called a "defensive pairing." Typically, a team dresses...
until Daniel switched from the center to the wing
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
at the age of 14. Henrik and Daniel attended high school at Nolaskolan Gymnasium in Sweden while playing professionally for Modo Hockey.
Modo Hockey (1997–2000)
Aged 16, Henrik and Daniel Sedin began their professional careers in 1997–98 with Modo Hockey of the Swedish Elite LeagueElitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
. Henrik recorded a goal and five points over 39 games during his rookie season. In his second year with Modo, he improved to 12 goals and 34 points, joint second in team scoring with Samuel Påhlsson
Samuel Påhlsson
Samuel Påhlsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the National Hockey League .-Professional:...
, behind Daniel. At the end of the season, Henrik and Daniel were named co-recipients of the Golden Puck
Guldpucken
Guldpucken is awarded annually to the ice hockey player of the year in Sweden. It is similar to the NHL's Hart Memorial Trophy. Normally it goes to a player in the Swedish Elite League...
, the Swedish player of the year award.
The Sedins were considered top prospects
Prospect (sports)
In sports, a prospect is any player whose rights are owned by a professional team, but who has yet to play a game for the team, or isn't established with the team yet. Prospects can sometimes be assigned to farm teams...
for the 1999 NHL Entry Draft
1999 NHL Entry Draft
The 1999 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts. According to Sports Illustrated and other sports news agencies, at the time the 1999 draft was considered one of the deepest in talent in years, headed by Patrik Stefan and the Sedin twins. However, the...
. Rated as the top European prospects, they were expected to be top five selections and expressed a desire to play for the same team. Their agent, Mike Barnett
Mike Barnett (ice hockey)
Michael Barnett is a Canadian ice hockey executive currently serving as advisor and scout with the New York Rangers. He was formerly a professional ice hockey player, sports agent, and National Hockey League general manager.-Sports career:Barnett played for the St. Lawrence University Skating...
, president of international talent agency IMG
IMG (business)
IMG, originally known as the International Management Group is a global sports and media business headquartered in New York City.-History:...
, presented them with two options to circumvent the usual NHL draft
NHL Entry Draft
The NHL Entry Draft is an annual meeting in which every franchise of the National Hockey League systematically select the rights to available amateur ice hockey players who meet draft eligibility requirements...
process, allowing them to play together. The first option was for the pair to enter the 1999 draft and not sign with their respective NHL clubs for two years, allowing them to become unrestricted free agents. This option required that they play junior ice hockey
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
in North America, which was not their intention. Barnett also suggested that either Henrik or Daniel opt out of the 1999 draft, in the hope that the same team that selected the first twin would select the other the following year. On the possibility of the Sedins' playing for separate teams, Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
scout Thomas Gradin
Thomas Gradin
Thomas Kjell Gradin was a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League from 1978 to 1987. He is best remembered for the 8 seasons he spent with the Vancouver Canucks, and remains one of the top players in that franchise's history.-NHL career:Gradin was already one of the top...
commented, "They're good enough to play with anyone, but separately their capacity might decrease by 10 or 15 percent." Nevertheless, Henrik and Daniel entered the 1999 draft expecting to be selected by separate teams. However, through a series of transactions, Canucks general manager Brian Burke obtained the second and third overall picks, which he used to select Daniel and Henrik, respectively. Gradin notified them of the Canucks' intentions five minutes before the draft.
On 27 July 1999, a month following the draft, Henrik and Daniel signed three-year contracts with the Canucks. As the contract did not require them to begin playing in Vancouver immediately, they announced on 12 August they would return to Sweden to play one more season with Modo. During the 1999–2000 season, Henrik led Modo in scoring with 47 points in 50 games, two points ahead of Daniel. The two brothers played on a line with New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
prospect Mattias Weinhandl
Mattias Weinhandl
Mattias Weinhandl is a Swedish professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for SKA St Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League ....
.
2000–05
The 2000–01 NHL season was Henrik's first for the Canucks. His debut was the team's first game of the campaign on 5 October 2000, a 6–3 loss to the Philadelphia FlyersPhiladelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. With the game, Henrik and Daniel became the fourth pair of twins to have played in the NHL. Three days later, Henrik assisted on Daniel's first career NHL goal in a 5–4 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
. The goal tied the game at 4 with 1:26 left in regulation. In a 5–2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
on 17 October 2000, Henrik scored his first NHL goal and added an assist on Daniel's second career goal. Henrik tallied 29 points over the course of the campaign – second among team rookies to Daniel's 34 points. He and Daniel played primarily on the Canucks' third line.
Henrik improved to 36 points in his second NHL season; he finished with five goals in his last six games, taking his season total to 16. In the opening game of the 2002 playoffs
2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championships of the National Hockey League, was played from April until June. The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Carolina Hurricanes four games to one to clinch the 10th championship in their history. It was the Hurricanes first ever appearance in the...
, Henrik scored the overtime winner against the first-seeded Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
to put the Canucks 1–0 ahead in the series; it was his first NHL playoff goal. Detroit went on to eliminate the Canucks in six games en route to winning the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
. During the 2002–03 season, Henrik suffered a sprained left shoulder that forced him out of three games. He had sustained the injury during a game against the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
on 14 December 2002. He finished the campaign with 39 points.
After their third NHL season, Henrik and Daniel were re-signed to one-year, US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1.125 million contracts on 29 July 2003. The Sedins began the 2003–04 season on a line with first-year player Jason King. The trio were named the "Mattress Line" (two twins and a King) and formed the Canucks' second scoring unit until King was re-assigned to the team's minor league affiliate midway through the season. On 7 November 2003, St. Louis Blues forward Doug Weight
Doug Weight
Douglas Daniel Weight is a retired American professional ice hockey player who is currently an Assistant Coach and Special Assistant to the General Manager for the New York Islanders. During his 19-year National Hockey League career, he played for the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Carolina...
was suspended four games without pay for a cross-check
Cross-checking
Cross-checking is an infraction in the sport of ice hockey where a player checks an opponent by using the shaft of his or her stick with both hands. In the rules of the National Hockey League, cross-checking is defined in Rule 59....
he delivered to Henrik during a game the previous day; Henrik was not injured. Late in the season, Henrik was sidelined for six games due to sore ribs. Over 76 games, Henrik increased his points total to 42. He was re-signed to a one-year contract on 10 September 2004, during the off-season.
During the 2004–05 lockout, Henrik returned to Sweden to play for Modo with Daniel and their Canucks teammate Markus Näslund
Markus Näslund
Sten Markus Näslund is a Swedish ice hockey general manager for Modo Hockey and a retired professional winger. He played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, as well as in the Elitserien with Modo Hockey...
. During a game against Mora IK
Mora IK
Mora Ishockeyklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey club from Mora, Sweden. They are currently playing in the second highest league in Sweden, HockeyAllsvenskan...
on 20 November 2004, Henrik received a slash that required a minor amputation
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
to his left little finger
Little finger
The little finger, often called the pinky in American English, pinkie in Scottish English , or small finger in medicine, is the most ulnar and usually smallest finger of the human hand, opposite the thumb, next to the ring finger.-Muscles:There are four muscles that...
. He finished the season with 36 points in 44 games, third in team scoring behind Peter Forsberg
Peter Forsberg
Peter Mattias "Foppa" Forsberg is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player and currently an assistant general manager of Modo Sports. Known for his on-ice vision and physical play, Forsberg is considered one of the most complete players of his generation...
and Mattias Weinhandl.
from 2005
As NHL play resumed in 2005–06, Henrik returned to the Canucks and scored 75 points, finishing second in team scoring behind Näslund. His breakout season was sparked, in part, by the signing of winger Anson CarterAnson Carter
Anson Carter is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger of Barbadian descent who last played for HC Lugano in the Swiss Nationalliga A. In the past, he has played for eight different National Hockey League teams, most notably with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver...
, who played on the Sedins' line and led the team in goal-scoring. The trio matched the scoring pace of the Canucks' top line of Näslund, Todd Bertuzzi
Todd Bertuzzi
Todd Bertuzzi is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League...
and Brendan Morrison
Brendan Morrison
Brendan Morrison is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League...
. Vancouver's head coach at the time, Marc Crawford
Marc Crawford
Marc Joseph John Crawford is a Canadian professional ice hockey head coach, most recently employed by the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League. He was previously the head coach of three other organizations and won a Stanley Cup in 1996 with the Colorado Avalanche...
, recalled that season as marking the Sedins' ascent as leaders on the team, stating, "by the end of that year, they definitely were our top guys. They had surpassed Naslund and Bertuzzi." During the off-season, Henrik and Daniel re-signed with the Canucks to identical three-year, $10.75 million contracts on 30 June 2006. Despite the team's success with Carter, the Canucks did not re-sign him; he joined the Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
the following season.
Taylor Pyatt
Taylor William Pyatt is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who plays for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League . Drafted out of the Ontario Hockey League , he played major-junior with the Sudbury Wolves...
, been acquired in a trade from the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
during the off-season, replaced Carter as the Sedins' linemate and went on to score a career-high 23 goals. For the fifth straight season, Henrik recorded a personal best, with 81 points; he set a new Canucks record for assists in one season with 71, beating the 62 by André Boudrias
Andre Boudrias
André Gerard Boudrias is a retired professional ice hockey centre who spent 12 seasons in the National Hockey League as well as two more years in the World Hockey Association between 1963 and 1978. He is best remembered for his time with the Vancouver Canucks, where he was the first offensive...
in 1974–75. Henrik passed Boudrias on 25 March 2007, with a three-assist effort during a 5–4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
. In the opening game of the 2007 playoffs
2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 11, 2007. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions played a best-of-7 series for the...
against the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
, Henrik scored a game-winning, quadruple-overtime
Overtime (ice hockey)
Overtime is a method of determining the winner and loser of an ice hockey match when the scores are tied after regulation. The two main methods are the overtime period and the shootout.-Overtime periods:...
goal to end the sixth longest game in NHL history (and longest in Canucks history) at 138 minutes and six seconds of play. He struggled to produce offensively in a career-high 12 games in the playoffs, however, managing four points as the Canucks were eliminated by the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the second round.
Henrik was awarded his first NHL career penalty shot on November 27, 2007, during a game against the Anaheim Ducks. His attempt was stopped by goaltender Jonas Hiller
Jonas Hiller
Jonas Hiller is a Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. In 2007–08, Henrik was selected to play for the Western Conference
Western Conference (NHL)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
in the 2008 All-Star Game
56th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 56th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held on January 27, 2008 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, home of the Atlanta Thrashers, during the 2007–08 NHL season....
against the East
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
, the first appearance of his career. He recorded two assists. He won his first Cyrus H. McLean Trophy
Cyrus H. McLean Trophy
The Cyrus H. McLean Trophy is an award given out by the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. It recognizes the Canucks leading scorer over the course of the regular season...
as Vancouver's leading scorer with 76 points. His 61 assists ranked fourth in the league for the second consecutive season.
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
, Henrik scored 22 goals and 82 points, tying for the team lead in points with Daniel. Steve Bernier
Steve Bernier
Steve Bernier is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger with the Albany Devils of the American Hockey League...
had been acquired in the 2008 off-season in another trade with the Sabres, and began the season on the top line with the Sedins. Bernier was later removed; on 12 February 2009, head coach Alain Vigneault moved Alexandre Burrows
Alexandre Burrows
Alexandre Ménard-Burrows is a French-Canadian professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He is known for playing in the style of an agitator and for his ascension to the NHL from being an undrafted player in the ECHL...
from the third line during a game against the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
. After recording 19 points and three game-winning goals in March, Henrik was named the NHL's Second Star of the Month. He added 10 points over 10 games in the 2009 playoffs
2009 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 15, 2009, after the 2008–09 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference , play a best-of-seven series for the conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and...
, helping the Canucks advance to the second round, where they were defeated in six games by the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
.
Set to become unrestricted free agents on 1 July 2009, Henrik and Daniel began negotiating with the Canucks in the off-season and were reported to have asked for 12-year, $63 million contracts in mid-June. With free agency looming, Canucks general manager Mike Gillis
Mike Gillis
Michael David Gillis is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current president and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks.-Playing career:...
travelled to Sweden to visit the Sedins, where they agreed on identical five-year, $30.5 million contracts on 1 July. On 30 September, Henrik was announced as one of the Canucks' three alternate captains, replacing defenceman Mattias Öhlund
Mattias Öhlund
Mattias Öhlund is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman and an alternate captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . Prior to joining the Lightning, he played eleven seasons with the Vancouver Canucks...
, who had signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the off-season.
Four games into the 2009–10 season
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
, Daniel suffered the first major injury of his career, breaking his foot in a game against the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. He was sidelined for 18 games, marking the first time in Henrik's career that he played without his brother for an extended period. In Daniel's absence, however, Henrik enjoyed a high-scoring start to the season. On 14 November 2009, he scored his first NHL career hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
in an 8–2 win against the Colorado Avalanche. Leading up to Daniel's 22 November return, Henrik scored seven goals in seven games. He continued his pace into December, recording a league-leading 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 15 games to be named the NHL's First Star of the Month. The following month, he was named Second Star, having recorded 25 points in 13 games. On 7 January 2010, Henrik moved into top spot in the league scoring race, ahead of San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
centre Joe Thornton
Joe Thornton
Joseph Eric Thornton is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League . He was selected first overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft and went on to play seven seasons with the club, five as its Captain. During the...
with a three-assist night against the Phoenix Coyotes. It marked the first time in nearly five years, since Näslund was tied with Robert Lang on 18 February 2004, that a Canucks player held the league lead in scoring. During a 3–1 win against the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
on 14 March, Henrik recorded his 416th career assist to pass Trevor Linden
Trevor Linden
Trevor John Linden, C.M., O.B.C. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre and right wing with four different teams: the Vancouver Canucks , New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals...
as Vancouver's all-time leader. On 27 March, he scored two assists against the San Jose Sharks to become the fourth Canuck in team history to record a 100-point season (after Pavel Bure
Pavel Bure
Pavel Vladimirovich Bure is a retired Russian professional ice hockey right winger. Nicknamed "The Russian Rocket" for his speed, Bure played for 12 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers...
, Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Gennadevitch Mogilny is a former Russian professional ice hockey player, currently the team consultant of the KHL team Amur Khabarovsk. Mogilny was best known for his lightning quick speed and lethal wrist shot in his early years, which led to his career year of 76 goals in the 1992–93...
and Näslund). He was named Third Star of the Month for March after scoring 24 points in 15 games.
Henrik entered the final game of the regular season, on 10 April against the Calgary Flames, one point behind Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
for the scoring lead. He was awarded the Canucks' Cyclone Taylor Trophy
Cyclone Taylor Trophy
The Cyclone Taylor Award is the award given each year to the most valuable player on the Vancouver Canucks . It is named after Cyclone Taylor, a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who led the Vancouver Millionaires to the Stanley Cup in 1915...
, Cyrus H. McLean Trophy and Molson Cup
Molson Cup
The Molson Cup is an award presented to a distinguished player on Canadian ice hockey teams. After each game, the "three game stars" are selected, usually by a member of the media. At the end of the season, the player with the most three-star honours is presented with the Molson Cup...
as the team's most valuable player, leading scorer and three-star selection leader, respectively. He recorded four assists in a 7–3 win to finish the season with 112 points to pass Ovechkin while also breaking Pavel Bure's franchise record of 110 points, set in 1992–93. Ovechkin failed to register a point in his last game the next day, earning Henrik the league scoring title and making him the first Art Ross Trophy
Art Ross Trophy
The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception...
winner in Canucks history. With 83 assists, he also surpassed his own team record of 71 assists in one season. In the subsequent 2010 playoffs
2010 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 14, 2010, after the 2009–10 NHL regular season. The Finals ended on June 9, 2010, with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Philadelphia Flyers four games to two to win their fourth championship and their first since 1961...
, Henrik added 14 points in 12 games. He scored the winning goal in game four against the Los Angeles Kings with under three minutes to go in regulation to tie the series at two games each. The Canucks went on to eliminate the Kings in six games before being ousted by the Blackhawks the following round for the second consecutive year.
On 19 May 2010, The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
named Henrik their 2009–10 Player of the Year. He received 108 first-place votes out of the 353 NHL players, coaches and executives polled. Ovechkin received 86 first-place votes while Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby
Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . Crosby was drafted first overall by the Penguins out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League...
received 72 first-place votes. Henrik was also voted by his countrymen in the league to receive the Viking Award
Viking Award
The Viking Award is awarded annually to the best Swedish ice hockey player in North America. The winner is decided by a vote among the players themselves. Only Mats Sundin has received the award four times. Peter Forsberg, Markus Näslund and Börje Salming have received it three...
as the NHL's best Swedish player. At the NHL Awards Show the following month on 23 June, Henrik, Ovechkin and Crosby were up for both the Hart Memorial Trophy
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
, awarded to the player deemed by the media to be the most valuable to his team, and the Ted Lindsay Award, given to the best player as voted by the NHL Players Association. After losing the Ted Lindsay Award to Ovechkin, Henrik was awarded the Hart, becoming the first Canuck and second Swedish player (after Peter Forsberg
Peter Forsberg
Peter Mattias "Foppa" Forsberg is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player and currently an assistant general manager of Modo Sports. Known for his on-ice vision and physical play, Forsberg is considered one of the most complete players of his generation...
in 2003) to win the trophy. Henrik garnered 894 voting points, compared to Ovechkin's 834 and Crosby's 729. He admitted afterwards to feeling like the underdog going into the awards ceremony, noting "[Ovechkin and Crosby] are the faces of the sport ... to be standing next to them as the old guy, it's a strange feeling." He was additionally named to the NHL First All-Star Team
NHL All-Star Team
The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
; at the same time, twin Daniel was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team. It marked the first time since Phil
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
and Tony Esposito
Tony Esposito
For the Italian musician, please see Tony Esposito .Anthony James "Tony O" Esposito is a retired Canadian-American professional ice hockey goaltender, who played in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Chicago Black Hawks. He was one of the pioneers of the now popular butterfly style....
in 1973–74 that two brothers were named post-season NHL All-Stars. They were also chosen to appear together on the cover of EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
' European version of the NHL 11
NHL 11
NHL 11 is an ice hockey video game celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the NHL series. The game was developed by EA Canada, published by EA Sports, and released in North America on September 7, 2010, with all other regions receiving the game within two weeks...
video game.
On 9 October 2010, Henrik was named the Canucks' 13th captain in team history during a pre-game ceremony celebrating the start of the team's 40th season. He succeeded Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending...
, who had stepped down as team captain the previous month. Early in the 2010–11 season
2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
, he scored his first penalty shot goal on his second NHL career attempt on 1 November. Playing the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, he scored on a backhand deke against goaltender Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
. Midway through the campaign, he was chosen to his second career NHL All-Star Game. Playing on Team Lidstrom
Nicklas Lidström
Nicklas Erik Lidström is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenseman who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, and is their captain...
opposite Daniel and Ryan Kesler
Ryan Kesler
Ryan James Kesler is an American professional ice hockey center for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. Selected in the first round, 23rd overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Kesler has...
on Team Staal
Eric Staal
Eric Craig Staal is a Canadian ice hockey player and the captain of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League...
, Representing the Canucks alongside Daniel and Ryan Kesler
Ryan Kesler
Ryan James Kesler is an American professional ice hockey center for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. Selected in the first round, 23rd overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Kesler has...
, Henrik helped his squad to an 11–10 win, recording two assists. Finishing the season with 94 points (19 goals and 75 assists) in 82 games, he ranked fourth in the league behind Daniel, Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and Corey Perry
Corey Perry
Corey Perry is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . Drafted out of the Ontario Hockey League , he captured a Memorial Cup with the London Knights and a gold medal with Team Canada at the World Junior Championships during...
. With Daniel winning the league scoring title, the two became the first brothers to win the Art Ross Trophy in consecutive years. (Chicago Blackhawks forwards Doug
Doug Bentley
Douglas Wagner Bentley was a Canadian ice hockey left winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks and New York Rangers as part of a senior and professional career that spanned nearly three decades...
and Max Bentley
Max Bentley
Maxwell Herbert Lloyd Bentley was a Canadian ice hockey forward who played for the Chicago Black Hawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Rangers in the National Hockey League as part of a professional and senior career that spanned 20 years...
also won separate scoring titles, but had achieved the feat three years apart in 1943 and 1946, respectively.)
As the Canucks established a team record 54 wins and 117 points, they won their first Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
as the team with the best regular season record. Entering the 2011 playoffs
2011 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 13, 2011, after the conclusion of the 2010–11 NHL regular season. Game 1 of the Finals was held on June 1, while Game 7 was held on June 15...
as the first seed in the West, the Canucks eliminated the Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in seven and six games, respectively. In the third round against the San Jose Sharks, Henrik established a single-game Canucks playoff record with four assists in Game 4, leading the Canucks to a 4–2 win. His first three assists helped the Canucks set another team record for the fastest three goals scored in a playoff game; all three were registered on 5-on-3 powerplays in a span of one minute and fifty-five seconds. With his third assist of the game, Henrik set another team record with his 16th assist of the 2011 playoffs, surpassing Pavel Bure's mark set in 1994
1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began after the conclusion of the 1993–94 NHL season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the...
. With San Jose facing elmination the following game, Henrik recorded two more assists for his 11th and 12th points in the series, tying Bure for most in a single round by a Canucks player. Vancouver won the game 3–2 in double-overtime to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals
2011 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2011 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League , and the culmination of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was the 118th year of the Stanley Cup's presentation. The Eastern Conference Champion Boston Bruins defeated the Western Conference Champion Vancouver...
. Playing the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, the Canucks won the first two games of the series, but went on to lose four-games-to-three. Henrik finished the post-season with 3 goals and 22 points over 25 games, ranking second in league scoring behind Bruins centre David Krejci
David Krejcí
David Krejčí is a Czech professional ice hockey center currently playing for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. It was revealed following their defeat that Henrik had been playing a large portion of the playoffs with a back injury.
A week after Vancouver's Game 7 loss, Henrik was on hand at the NHL Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas, having been nominated along with Daniel for the NHL Foundation Player Award
NHL Foundation Player Award
The NHL Foundation Player Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player "who applies the core values of hockey—commitment, perseverance and teamwork—to enrich the lives of people in his community". The winner is given a grant of US$25,000 to help causes that the winner supports...
for their charitable work. They lost the award to Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown. For his regular season efforts, Henrik was named to the NHL First All-Star Team for a second consecutive year, alongside Daniel, who earned the distinction for the first time. Returning to Sweden in the off-season, Henrik and Daniel were co-recipients of the Victoria Stipendium, as the country's athletes of the year. They became the third and fourth ice hockey players to receive the award, after Stefan Persson
Stefan Persson
Stefan Persson may refer to:*Stefan Persson , owner of Swedish fashion company Hennes & Mauritz*Stefan Persson , retired ice hockey player*Stefan Persson , Swedish swimmer...
in 1980 and Peter Forsberg
Peter Forsberg
Peter Mattias "Foppa" Forsberg is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player and currently an assistant general manager of Modo Sports. Known for his on-ice vision and physical play, Forsberg is considered one of the most complete players of his generation...
in 1994. Henrik and Daniel were presented the award, commemorated with glass plates, on July 14, 2011, in the city of Borgholm
Borgholm
Borgholm is a city and the seat of Borgholm Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden with 3,093 inhabitants in 2005. It is located on the island of Öland in the Baltic Sea....
.
Entering 2011–12
2011–12 NHL season
The 2011–12 NHL season is the 95th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It is the fifth consecutive season that opens in Europe with NHL Premiere games. As with the previous season, three events are scheduled: two games will be held in Stockholm, Sweden; one game in Helsinki,...
, Henrik dressed for his 500th consecutive NHL regular season game, having not missed a contest since returning from a rib injury on 21 March 2004. The streak trails Calgary Flames defenceman Jay Bouwmeester
Jay Bouwmeester
Jay Daniel Bouwmeester is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and an alternate captain of the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He was a first round selection, third overall, of the Florida Panthers at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft...
– who at the start of the season, had played in 506 consecutive games – for the league's active ironman title and ranks second behind Brendan Morrison
Brendan Morrison
Brendan Morrison is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League...
for the Canucks' all-time record.
International play
Henrik played for the first time in North America with Sweden's national under-17 team at the 1997 World U17 Hockey Challenge, held in AlbertaAlberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. Recording 20 points (12 goals and 8 assists) over 6 games, he helped Sweden to a silver medal. After going undefeated in five contests, they were defeated in the gold medal game by Team Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
6–2.
Henrik competed for Sweden at the 1997 European Junior Championships, recording three goals and seven points over six games. He joined Sweden for the 1998 European Junior Championships, the final game of which required Sweden to beat Russia by four goals to surpass Finland in goal differential
Goal difference
In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....
and win the gold medal. Henrik recorded a goal and an assist against Russia as Sweden won 5–1.
In his NHL draft year, Henrik competed for Sweden at the 1999 World Junior Championships
1999 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
-Quarterfinals:-Semifinals:-5th place game:-Bronze medal game:-Gold medal game:-Final ranking:-Scoring leaders:-Pool B:Played at Szekesfehervar and Dunaujvaros, Hungary from December 27 to January 3. Two groups of four played round robins, and then the top three played each of the top three teams...
in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. He recorded nine points in six games, fifth in tournament scoring and second in team scoring to brother Daniel, as Sweden failed to win a medal. Later that year, Henrik made his international debut for the Swedish national men's team at the 1999 World Championships
1999 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-World Championship Group C:Played at Eindhoven and Tilburg, Netherlands April 5–11. Yugoslavia was supposed to particpate in this tournament, but was prevented by the host Dutch government.-Group 1:-Group 2:-Final Round 25-28 Place:...
in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. He scored no points in eight games as Sweden won the bronze medal.
In 2000, Henrik once again competed in both the World Junior
2000 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
-Group B:All times local .-Relegation round:-10-minute tie break game: was relegated to Division I for the 2001 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.-Final round:‡ Shootout victory.All times local ....
and Senior Championships
2000 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-World Championship Group A :Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2001# -World Championship Group B :...
. At the junior tournament in Sweden, Henrik led the tournament with 13 points in seven games, but Sweden did not earn a medal. At the World Championships, Henrik recorded five points as Sweden again failed to medal.
Following his rookie season with the Vancouver Canucks, Henrik made his third World Championships appearance, in 2001
2001 IIHF World Championship
The 2001 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held between April 28 and May 13, 2001 in Nuremberg, Cologne and Hanover, Germany.It was the 65th annual event, and was run by the International Ice Hockey Federation .-Venues:-Qualification Tournament:...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He earned his second bronze medal in three years as Sweden defeated the United States 3–2 in the bronze medal game. He made a fourth tournament appearance at the 2005 World Championships
2005 IIHF World Championship
- Group B :All times local - Group C :All times local - Group D :All times local -Qualifying round:The top three teams from each group in the First Round advance to the qualifying round...
in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. Sweden missed out on the bronze medal, losing to Russia 6–3. Henrik had a goal and an assist in a losing effort during the bronze medal game. He finished the tournament with two goals and six points in nine games.
On 22 December 2005, Henrik was named to the Swedish Olympic team for the 2006 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics
-Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and...
in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy. He joined Daniel, Markus Näslund
Markus Näslund
Sten Markus Näslund is a Swedish ice hockey general manager for Modo Hockey and a retired professional winger. He played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, as well as in the Elitserien with Modo Hockey...
and Mattias Öhlund
Mattias Öhlund
Mattias Öhlund is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman and an alternate captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . Prior to joining the Lightning, he played eleven seasons with the Vancouver Canucks...
as one of four Canucks on the squad. Competing in his first Olympics, he contributed four points as Sweden won a gold medal, defeating Finland 3–2 in the final. Four years later, Henrik was once again named to the Swedish Olympic team, for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. Unlike the previous Olympics, Henrik went into the 2010 tournament as one of Sweden's key players: at the time of the roster announcement on December 27, 2009, he led all Swedish players in NHL scoring. Sweden failed to defend their gold medal from Turin, however, losing to Slovakia in the quarter final. Henrik had two assists in four games.
Playing style
Throughout his career, Henrik has scored more assists than goals. Known as a playmaker, he starts play sequences that lead to goals with passes to his teammates. Many of the plays he generates are created off the cycle. Henrik's familiarity with Daniel's play enhances his effectiveness; the pair are known for their ability to find each other intuitively with passes, often without looking.Beginning around the 2008–09 season
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
, Henrik began to expand his skill-set by scoring more goals. His increased tendency to shoot was given an extra push when Daniel suffered the first major injury of his career early in the 2009–10 season
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
, forcing Henrik to play without his brother and consequently pass less often. He recorded the first two 20-goal seasons of his career in 2008–09 and 2009–10, and increased his shot totals.
With his offensive skill the prime component of his game, Henrik is known to avoid initiating contact with opposing players. Early in their career, he and Daniel were knocked off the puck easily, leading many in the media to refer to them as the "Sedin Sisters". As a result, players have often taken advantage of the brothers' lack of physicality by playing aggressively against them. This once led Canucks general manager Brian Burke to publicly complain, commenting during a 2002 playoff
2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championships of the National Hockey League, was played from April until June. The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Carolina Hurricanes four games to one to clinch the 10th championship in their history. It was the Hurricanes first ever appearance in the...
series against the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, Sedin' is not Swedish for 'punch me or headlock me in a scrum'." As their careers progressed, the Sedins have worked on their strength, improving their puck possession and allowing them to play more effectively.
Personal life
Henrik is married to Johanna Sedin; they have two sons: Valter, who was born in 2006 in Vancouver and Harry, who was born on 12 May 2010. They live together in the city's YaletownYaletown
Yaletown is an area of Downtown Vancouver approximately bordered by False Creek, Robson, and Homer Streets. Formerly a heavy industrial area dominated by warehouses and rail yards, since the Expo 86, it has been transformed into one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in the city...
neighbourhood, and return to Sweden during the off-season. In March 2010, Henrik and Johanna made a joint $1.5 million donation, with Daniel and his wife Marinette, to the BC Children's Hospital's $200-million project for a new building; the two families requested that it be put towards a pediatric intensive-care unit and a diagnostic imaging area. Henrik commented that it was something he and his wife had wanted to do since Valter was born.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1996–97 | Modo Hockey MODO Hockey Modo Hockey is a professional ice hockey club in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The club plays in Sweden's premier ice hockey league, the Elitserien. They were founded in 1921 and have won two Elitserien championships; in 1979 and 2007. The team's home arena is the Fjällräven Center since 2006... |
J20 J20 SuperElit J20 SuperElit is a junior ice hockey league composed of 20 teams in Sweden. It is the highest-level junior ice hockey league in Sweden. The teams are divided in two groups, or divisions, Norra and Södra , and are usually associated with a professional team in either Elitserien or HockeyAllsvenskan... |
26 | 14 | 22 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Modo Hockey | J20 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 1997–98 Elitserien season -Standings:-Playoffs:... |
Modo Hockey | SEL Elitserien Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden... |
39 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1998–99 1998–99 Elitserien season -Standings:-Playoffs:... |
Modo Hockey | SEL | 49 | 12 | 22 | 34 | 32 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 6 | ||
| 1999–00 | Modo Hockey | SEL | 50 | 9 | 38 | 47 | 22 | 13 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 2 | ||
| 2000–01 | Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
82 | 9 | 20 | 29 | 38 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2001–02 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 82 | 16 | 20 | 36 | 36 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 78 | 8 | 31 | 39 | 38 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | ||
| 2003–04 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 76 | 11 | 31 | 42 | 32 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2004–05 2004–05 Elitserien season The 2004–05 Elitserien season was the 30th season of Elitserien. It started on September 20, 2004, with the regular season ending March 1, 2005. The playoffs of the 81st Swedish Championship ended on April 11, with Frölunda HC taking the championship.... |
Modo Hockey | SEL | 44 | 14 | 22 | 36 | 50 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 2005–06 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 82 | 18 | 57 | 75 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 82 | 10 | 71 | 81 | 66 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 14 | ||
| 2007–08 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 82 | 15 | 61 | 76 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 82 | 22 | 60 | 82 | 48 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 2 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 82 | 29 | 83 | 112 | 48 | 12 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 6 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 82 | 19 | 75 | 94 | 40 | 25 | 3 | 19 | 22 | 16 | ||
| NHL totals | 810 | 157 | 509 | 666 | 458 | 90 | 20 | 46 | 66 | 48 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Sweden Jr. Sweden men's national junior ice hockey team The Swedish men's national under 20 ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in Sweden. The team represents Sweden at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Junior Hockey Championship, held annually every December and January.Sweden's roster for the 1981 World Junior... |
EJC | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 16 |
| 1998 | Sweden Jr. | EJC | 6 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 4 |
| 1998 1998 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships - Quarterfinals :- Semifinals :- Placement games :- 7th place game :- 5th place game :- Bronze medal game :- Gold medal game :- Relegation round : lost the two game total goal series 17-3 and was relegated for the 1999 World Juniors... |
Sweden Jr. | WJC World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world... |
7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 1999 1999 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships -Quarterfinals:-Semifinals:-5th place game:-Bronze medal game:-Gold medal game:-Final ranking:-Scoring leaders:-Pool B:Played at Szekesfehervar and Dunaujvaros, Hungary from December 27 to January 3. Two groups of four played round robins, and then the top three played each of the top three teams... |
Sweden Jr. | WJC | 6 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 |
| 1999 1999 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -World Championship Group C:Played at Eindhoven and Tilburg, Netherlands April 5–11. Yugoslavia was supposed to particpate in this tournament, but was prevented by the host Dutch government.-Group 1:-Group 2:-Final Round 25-28 Place:... |
Sweden | WC | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2000 2000 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships -Group B:All times local .-Relegation round:-10-minute tie break game: was relegated to Division I for the 2001 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.-Final round:‡ Shootout victory.All times local .... |
Sweden Jr. | WJC | 7 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 0 |
| 2000 2000 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -World Championship Group A :Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2001# -World Championship Group B :... |
Sweden | WC | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
| 2001 2001 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -Championship:Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2002# — relegated to Division I for 2002# - Group A :Group A was played in Grenoble, France between April 16 and April 22, 2001... |
Sweden | WC | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2005 2005 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships The 2005 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held March 7 - May 15, 2005, in 7 cities in 6 countries: Vienna and Innsbruck, Austria ; Debrecen, Hungary ; Eindhoven, the Netherlands ; Zagreb, Croatia ; Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro ; Mexico City, Mexico... |
Sweden | WC | 9 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
| 2006 Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics -Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and... |
Sweden | Oly 2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter... |
8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 2010 Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at Canada Hockey Place, home of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks, and at UBC Winter Sports Centre, home of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport's UBC Thunderbirds. Twelve teams competed in the men's event and eight teams competed in the... |
Sweden | Oly 2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University... |
4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Junior int'l totals | 59 | 26 | 46 | 72 | 38 | ||
| Senior int'l totals | 66 | 10 | 15 | 25 | 20 | ||
NHL All-Star Games
| Year | Location | G | A | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 56th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 56th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held on January 27, 2008 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, home of the Atlanta Thrashers, during the 2007–08 NHL season.... |
Atlanta | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2011 58th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 58th National Hockey League All-Star Game, also known as the 2011 National Hockey League All-Star Game presented by Discover, was the National Hockey League’s annual All-Star game played on January 30, 2011. The game took place during the 2010–11 NHL season at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North... |
Raleigh | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| All-star totals | 0 | 4 | 4 | ||
Sweden
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Golden Puck Guldpucken Guldpucken is awarded annually to the ice hockey player of the year in Sweden. It is similar to the NHL's Hart Memorial Trophy. Normally it goes to a player in the Swedish Elite League... (Elitserien Elitserien Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden... player of the year) |
1999 (shared with Daniel Sedin Daniel Sedin Daniel Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , and serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. His identical twin brother Henrik also plays for the Canucks, and is the team captain... ) |
| Viking Award Viking Award The Viking Award is awarded annually to the best Swedish ice hockey player in North America. The winner is decided by a vote among the players themselves. Only Mats Sundin has received the award four times. Peter Forsberg, Markus Näslund and Börje Salming have received it three... (Best Swedish player in the NHL) |
2010 |
| Victoria Stipendium (Swedish athlete of the year) | 2011(shared with Daniel Sedin Daniel Sedin Daniel Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , and serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. His identical twin brother Henrik also plays for the Canucks, and is the team captain... ) |
International
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Olympic gold medal (with Sweden) | 2006 2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter... |
NHL
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Hart Memorial Trophy Hart Memorial Trophy The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different... |
2010 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
| Art Ross Trophy Art Ross Trophy The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception... (Leading Scorer) |
2010 |
| First All-Star Team NHL All-Star Team The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are... |
2010 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... , 2011 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
| Sporting News Player of the Year | 2010 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
| Second Star of the Month | March 2009 and January 2010 |
| First Star of the Month | December 2009 |
| Third Star of the Month | March 2010 |
Vancouver Canucks
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Cyrus H. McLean Trophy Cyrus H. McLean Trophy The Cyrus H. McLean Trophy is an award given out by the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. It recognizes the Canucks leading scorer over the course of the regular season... (leading scorer) |
2008, 2009 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... and 2010 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
| Cyclone Taylor Trophy Cyclone Taylor Trophy The Cyclone Taylor Award is the award given each year to the most valuable player on the Vancouver Canucks . It is named after Cyclone Taylor, a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who led the Vancouver Millionaires to the Stanley Cup in 1915... (MVP) |
2010 |
| Molson Cup Molson Cup The Molson Cup is an award presented to a distinguished player on Canadian ice hockey teams. After each game, the "three game stars" are selected, usually by a member of the media. At the end of the season, the player with the most three-star honours is presented with the Molson Cup... (most three-star selections Three stars (ice hockey) In ice hockey, the three stars of a match are the three best players as chosen by a third party, with the first star considered the best of the three players, akin to the man of the match in other sports. Usually, the top point scorers or outstanding goaltenders are designated the three stars, but... ) |
2010 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
Records
- Vancouver CanucksVancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
' franchise record for all time assists – 509 as of 2010–112010–11 NHL seasonThe 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
(surpassed Trevor LindenTrevor LindenTrevor John Linden, C.M., O.B.C. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre and right wing with four different teams: the Vancouver Canucks , New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals...
's 415 assists on 14 March 2010) - Vancouver Canucks' franchise record for assists in one season – 83 (2009–10) (surpassed his own 71 assists in 2006–07)
- Vancouver Canucks' franchise record for points in one season – 112 (2009–10) (surpassed Pavel BurePavel BurePavel Vladimirovich Bure is a retired Russian professional ice hockey right winger. Nicknamed "The Russian Rocket" for his speed, Bure played for 12 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers...
's 110 points in 1993–941992-93 NHL season-Montreal vs. Los Angeles:Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4–1. Patrick Roy wins Conn Smythe Trophy-NHL Awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:-Leading goaltenders:-Complete list of neutral-site games:The Hartford-St...
)
Transactions
- 26 June 1999 – Drafted by the Vancouver CanucksVancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
in the first round, third overall, in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft1999 NHL Entry DraftThe 1999 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts. According to Sports Illustrated and other sports news agencies, at the time the 1999 draft was considered one of the deepest in talent in years, headed by Patrik Stefan and the Sedin twins. However, the... - 27 July 1999 – Signed with the Canucks to a three-year contract
- 29 July 2003 – Re-signed with the Canucks to a one-year, $1.125 million contract
- 10 September 2004 – Re-signed with the Canucks to a one-year contract
- 30 June 2006 – Re-signed with the Canucks to a three-year, $10.75 million contract
- 1 July 2009 – Re-signed with the Canucks to a five-year, $30.5 million contract
See also
- Notable families in the NHL
- Daniel SedinDaniel SedinDaniel Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , and serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. His identical twin brother Henrik also plays for the Canucks, and is the team captain...
- List of NHL players with 100-point seasons