Milestones begin to add up for NHL players over the course of their careers: their first game, first point, first goal, first penalty, first hat trick, number of games played and on goes the list.
Vancouver Canucks, captain Henrik Sedin is fast approaching yet another milestone: 1000 career NHL points. It’s an incredible feat and one that not every player reaches throughout their careers. One that takes commitment, discipline and perseverance.
January is quickly becoming a month to keep our eyes on as Henrik inches closer every game to this latest milestone. Heading into tonight’s game against Calgary, Henrik Sedin has amassed 996 points and counting. Let that sink in for a moment: Henrik Sedin is closing in on 1000 NHL points.
There was a time when many were unsure if Henrik and Daniel would have what it takes to make it long-term in the NHL. Neither Henrik or Daniel had it easy but they kept with it and now here we are over 1000 games later.
In those 996 points, there have been some standout moments: from his first goal to being named captain of the team to his 112 point Art Ross trophy season to his unbelievable chemistry with his brother, Daniel and to the moment he passed former teammate Markus Naslund as the Vancouver Canucks all-time leading scorer. Creating magic nearly every game with his play on the ice with his brother or as Canucks fans call it: sedinery.
And as it has been with their entire careers and reaching milestones…Daniel will also be reaching the 1000 points plateau later this season. That’s an incredible feat for one player on a team, let alone two players who happen to be brothers and have been line mates for their entire careers. Their critics berate them nightly and yet every season, they have continued to defy the odds.
Henrik will once again cross the milestone line just before Daniel, just like he won the Art Ross the year before him or reached 1000 games played. It seems only fitting that they will be crossing this latest milestone together, one after another.
From surpassing 1000 games played to amassing nearly 1000 NHL points, Henrik has made a long lasting impression on the game. Just 4 points separate him from his latest moment in Vancouver Canucks history.
(*Sidenote: Daniel Sedin is 35 points from also reaching the 1000 points milestone while Bo Horvat is just 7 points away from 100 NHL points.)
History is coming very soon. Where will you be when the moment happens?
I have said it many times, a hockey career can be broken down into numbers. From the number a player was or was not drafted to the goals scored or points amassed. A player’s jersey number. The number of minutes a player spends on the ice per game, or the number of penalty minutes amassed over their career. The number of playoff games a player has played in and the number of playoff points accumulated in those games. The number of teams a player has played for and the number of games a player has played over their career.
On November 23, 2014, Vancouver Canucks assistant Captain, Daniel Sedin reached a milestone among the numbers that make up an NHL career: 1000 games played.
Let’s take a closer look at the numbers that make up Daniel Sedin’s career.
(Spoiler alert: Just as with Henrik’s 1000th game milestone post: “Milestone HANK”, though this is dedicated to Daniel’s accomplishment, his brother will be mentioned a time or two as their careers go together like two peas in a pod. It is near impossible to mention one without the other.)
1000 games played is a milestone in many an NHL career, but having played all 1000 games for ONE team is an even tougher feat to complete. Daniel Sedin has followed in the steps of his twin brother Henrik, yet AGAIN on THIS latest milestone. Welcome to the 1000 games played for ONE team club, Danny!
Sedin was drafted 2nd overall at the 1999 NHL draft right ahead of brother, Henrik by the Vancouver Canucks. His NHL debut was the start of the 2000-2001 season, on October 5, 2000 and he scored his first goal October 8, 2000. His NHL debut was delayed because him and Henrik had committed to play one more year with MODO (in the Swedish Elite League) before making their names known at an NHL level.
It was not until after the 2004-2005 lockout that fans and media fully realized the star potential that Daniel and Henrik were capable of on the ice. In the 686 games that Daniel has played in since the start of the 2005-2006 season, he has posted 674 points (250 goals, 424 assists).
Vancouver Canucks fans have been incredibly lucky to have seen both of the Sedins develop from promising rookies drafted in the first round of the 1999 NHL draft into the elite players that they have become today.
During the their 15-year journey, the twins have witnessed two lockouts and accomplished many feats. During the 2004-2005 full season lockout, they played for MODO in the Swedish Elite League. In 2006 they won Olympic Gold for Sweden, they helped lead Sweden to GOLD at the 2013 World Championship and in Sochi, Daniel picked up Olympic Silver in 2014. In 2010, Henrik won the Art Ross Trophy and in 2011, Daniel did the same. In February 2013, Henrik passed Markus Naslund’s 756 franchise points record, Daniel did the same in April of that year officially ranking them #1 & #2 in the Canucks record books. Last season saw Henrik celebrated the 1000 games played milestone, this season was Daniel’s turn. Daniel may have developed a knack for following in Henrik’s steps in the record books BUT he has more than made his own mark in NHL history.
This season marks Daniel’s 14th NHL season. In 1001 regular season games, Daniel has been assessed 424 penalty minutes and amassed 825 points (311 Goals…69 of which have been game winning goals + 514 Assists). Of his 311 goals, 112 have been scored on the power play. Impressive to say the least considering that early on despite all of his potential there was the question of whether he and his brother would have staying power in the NHL. Could they reach that elite level? It may have taken some adjusting but the twins have more than answered any lingering questions about their abilities over the last 15 years.
There are MANY moments to choose from and many more to come, but here are a few memorable Daniel Sedin moments:
From his very first NHL goal:
To some of the most ridiculous Sedinery moments like these:
Or THIS recent OT game winning goal, from what looked like a near impossible angle:
It is very rare to see ONE player, let alone TWO players TOGETHER play 1000 GAMES for the SAME team. Sedinery will NEVER go out of style. As a Canuck fan, I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to watch Daniel Sedin from early in his career to maturing into an elite player and now seeing him rediscover his Sedinery magic with Henrik this season.
A handful of brothers have played together in the NHL before but none have played their entire careers together from day one and the natural chemistry that the Sedins have. They seem to simply anticipate where the other is without even looking at times when making a play…and 95% of the time they are right. The twins have been there for nearly every milestone that the other has reached but THIS one moment just like for Henrik is Daniel’s to enjoy as his own. Unlike Henrik’s 1000th game when Daniel was out with an injury, this time BOTH twins were 100% healthy and Daniel celebrated THIS milestone with Henrik by his side.
It is an incredible milestone in many NHL players’ careers to reach the 1000 game mark but it is rare to see a player play 1000 games with ONE franchise, but that is exactly the case for Daniel Sedin. Just like his brother, he has played EVERY game of his career for the Vancouver Canucks. Just THREE players have suited up for 1000+ career games with the Vancouver Canucks: Trevor Linden, Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin.
May I ask yet AGAIN: how incredible has it been to watch Daniel’s career develop from a young rookie to the veteran leader that he has become over the last 15 years? The Sedins have had the fans and media critique them every step of the way but I ask you, Vancouver, do you realize how lucky we have been to witness the careers of these two? There will never be another pair like these two with their incredibly accurate no-look passes that turn little innocent looking plays into absolute magic not to be repeated goals.
There is NO doubt in my mind, that one day both #33 and #22 will be up in the rafters at Rogers Arena. One day, when the twins retire, it will be beyond strange, to not see the Sedins on the ice, but perhaps by then we will finally be able to fully appreciate just what these two mean to the franchise. It is not just their amazing abilities on the ice, but also the work they do off the ice with the Canucks charities and in the community that will make them irreplaceable.
Here’s to you, Daniel Sedin for 14 incredible seasons both on & off the ice. Here’s to you and Hank leading Vancouver all the way! Here’s to everything you have done in the past, the present and the future still yet to come. #DANKYOUVERYMUCH
A hockey career can be divided into numbers. The number overall that a player was drafted into the NHL. The number of years that a player plays before retiring. The number of points a player amasses (both goals & assists). The number of minutes of ice-time that a player averages per game. The number of penalty minutes a player picks up. The number of power-play points a player amasses. The number of playoff games/series a player plays in and the number of points a player has amassed in playoff games. The number of awards a player has won. The number of teams a player has played for or the number of times a player has been traded.
Today, in honour of the Vancouver Canucks Captain, Henrik Sedin who will be playing in his 1000th NHL career game March 12, 2014; we will take a closer look at his career by the numbers. It is not often that a player plays 1000 games with the same franchise, but that is true for Henrik Sedin going into tonight’s game.
Spoiler alert: it is impossible to not mention Daniel in conjunction with Henrik.
Henrik Sedin was drafted 3rd overall at the 1999 NHL draft right behind his brother Daniel by the Vancouver Canucks. His NHL debut was the start of the 2000-2001 season, on October 5, 2000 and he scored his first goal October 16, 2000. His NHL debut was delayed because him and twin brother Daniel had committed to one more year with MODO (in the Swedish Elite League) before making their names known at an NHL level.
It was not until after the 2004-2005 lockout that fans and media fully realized the star potential that Henrik and his brother Daniel were capable of on the ice. In the 678 games that Henrik has played in since the start of the 2005-2006 season, he has posted 687 points (148 goals, 539 assists).
In 2010, Henrik set a new franchise record for points scored in a single season with 112 points surpassing Pavel Pure’s record of 110 points (Daniel won the Art Ross in 2011). With his record points he won the first Art Ross Trophy for the Canucks franchise and also won the Hart Trophy. At the start of the 2010-2011 season, Henrik Sedin was named team Captain.
Last season may have been shortened due to the lockout but Henrik made it a memorable year when he surpassed former Canuck, Markus Naslund’s franchise record of 756 total points when he reached point number 757 on February 15, 2013. The standing ovation was thunderous.
This season marks Henrik’s 13th NHL season. In 999 regular season games, Henrik has been assessed 572 penalty minutes and amassed 192 goals along with 641 assists for a total of 833 points. Of those 192 goals, 50 of them are power-play goals, 6 are short-handed and 34 are game winners. In 13 NHL seasons, Henrik has played in 99 playoff games in which he posted 74 points (22 goals, 52 assists). Of those 22 goals, 9 were scored on the power-play and 4 were game winners. Those 99 playoff games also include 1 Stanley Cup Final appearance (2011).
In addition to 13 NHL seasons and counting…Henrik has also made waves playing for his home country of Sweden at competition on the international level. He has represented Sweden at two Olympics (would be three but was forced to withdraw from the 2014 Olympics due to injury) including a GOLD medal in Turin in 2006. Most recently he helped lead Team Sweden to the 2013 World Cup in May and also won two bronze medals at the WC in 1999 and 2001. In 81 games for his international team (combining junior & senior levels), Henrik has put up 69 points (27 goals, 42 assists).
His iron man streak may have officially come to an end earlier this season, but Henrik’s work ethic to always improve his game and give everything he has, will long be remembered when the day comes that he eventually does retire.
Mr. Milestone H. Sedin is the leading franchise player with the following records:
641 assists (& counting), 833 points (& counting), most points in a single season (112 in 2009-2010), assists in a single season (83 in 2009-2010) and most consecutive games played (679).
Here’s just a few of MANY memorable regular season Henrik moments.
11/14/09 FIRST CAREER HAT TRICK:
2/18/11 TIC TAC TOE…SCORES!!!!
3/14/13 Penalty SHOT! He dekes, he shoots, he scores…the crowd goes WILD!!!
4/11/07 QUADRUPLE OVERTIME:
There have been many moments of #sedinery by Henrik and his brother Daniel, and for the next four years there are bound to be many more. Vancouver Canucks fans are VERY fortunate to have been able to watch Henrik and Daniel mature from rookies to matured veteran leaders and reach superstar status. Brothers have played together in the league before but none have played their entire careers together from day one and had the insane chemistry that the Sedins have. There are times when they don’t even look at each other when making a play…they simply anticipate where the other will be and 95% of the time they are right. The twins have been there for nearly every milestone that the other has reached BUT this will be one that Henrik will have to reach without Daniel on the ice (out with an undisclosed injury). Even if Daniel isn’t in the lineup, you can be sure he’s cheering louder than anyone else in support of Hank. No one will cheer louder for Daniel when his moment comes next season than Hank.
It is an incredible milestone in many players careers to reach the 1000 game mark but it is rare to see a player play 1000 games with ONE franchise, but that is exactly the case for Henrik Sedin tonight when he steps out on the ice. He has played EVERY game of his career for the Vancouver Canucks. I repeat how incredibly lucky it has been to watch Henrik’s career develop from a young rookie to the veteran leader that he is now. The Sedins have had the fans and media critique them every step of the way but I ask you, Vancouver, do you realize how lucky we have been to witness the careers of these two?
There is NO doubt in my mind, that one day both #33 and #22 will be up in the rafters at Rogers Arena. It will be strange to not see the Sedins on the ice, but perhaps by then we will finally be able to fully appreciate just what these two mean to the franchise. It is not just their amazing abilities on the ice, but also the work they do off the ice with the Canucks charities and in the community that will make them irreplaceable.
In closing, I salute you, Henrik Sedin for 13 excellent seasons on & off the ice. Here’s to everything he’s done in the past, the present and the future still yet to come. #HankYouVeryMuch
nucksaid 