SEDIN SALUTE
Vancouver Canucks fans pay tribute to Daniel and Henrik Sedin at their final home game
It was a sea of blue shirts and watery eyes.
Longtime Canucks stars Henrik and Daniel Sedin laced up for their final game on home ice in Vancouver on Thursday, a night made even more special as the twins turned back the clock to combine for two goals — one the overtime winner — in a spirited 4-3 overtime win against the Arizona Coyotes.
The first goal was Daniel’s 22nd of the season and was scored 33 seconds into the second period. The second was the winner, making it a storybook ending to their illustrious careers.
Talk about a Swede parting gift for the adoring fan base.
Countless standing ovations and Viking claps later, the Sedins, visibly emotional, took a victory lap around the rink as the fans showered them with cheers for one final time.
As they were interviewed on the ice after the game, the fans chanted “one more year.” The Sedins were then embraced by the teammates they so dutifully led all these years.
Outside the arena, thousands of fans paid tribute to the twins however they could, carrying homemade signs and sporting well-worn jerseys as they made their way to the game.
They lined up outside to pay tribute on a mural wall, writing words of gratitude and melancholy in silver pen:
“Hank + Dank, Thank you for all the amazing memories. It will be very strange not seeing #22 & #33”
“Thank you for showing us what it means to be Canucks.”
“You are legends and will always be a Canuck! Thank you for all the best hockey memories.”
Some held back tears as they described the deep emotional connections they’d come to feel with the twins over 17 seasons of hockey, through all the ups and downs.
Grace Chun stood waiting for a friend who made the sign she was wearing, adorned with dozens of glowing lights, which simply read: “Congrats Henrik (and) Daniel.”
Chun was a longtime season-ticket holder until this year, supporting former captain Markus Naslund before the twins came along.
“I love Swedish hockey players, the way they play,” she said. “They’re very humble, low-key, unassuming. I like their style.”
Going on a hunch and following much discussion by fellow Canucks fans, Chun steeled herself long before news came Monday that the irreplaceable twins had decided it was time to retire.
“When it actually became real, I was sad because I felt like I really didn’t appreciate the style of play that they influenced all these years,” Chun said. “To not be able to see that is kind of heartbreaking.”
She’ll follow them to their final game Saturday in Edmonton, against the Oilers.
Rob and Sue Foster came from Port Alberni to celebrate Sue’s birthday and missed the chance to sign the tribute wall, but instead shared their memories of the Sedins with a reporter.
“They’re amazing ambassadors,” Sue said. “What they do for charities, everything.”
Rob said he was grateful for the Sedins’ “special shifts” and power plays, the likes of which he doesn’t think he’ll see again.
Kenny Wong, there with six friends, said the Sedins always showed strong character and grace in response to critical media.
“They were able to tough it out and that goes to show what players should be like as they’re maturing in their careers,” he said. “I hope the younger players can take that away from them.”
Inside the arena, fans lined up patiently for their turn to buy jerseys and T-shirts to commemorate the Sedins’ careers. A highlight reel played on the scoreboard, showing some of the most exciting moments from their time in Vancouver — 1,304 games for Daniel and 1,328 for Henrik.
At 7 p.m., as the twins took to the ice, the roar of the packed arena was overwhelming.
Nick Bondi, who runs the website bcsportshub.com, came with a sign advocating for the Sedins’ place in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The 23-year-old said he’s been a fan of the twins since he first got into hockey when he was six. Over their careers, as they racked up more than a 1,000 points each, he became convinced they were unlike any players Vancouver has ever seen.
“They have a Stanley Cup final appearance, they have Art Ross (trophies) and they’ve meant so much here to the community,” he said, pointing out their $1.5-million donation to B.C. Children’s Hospital in 2010.
“They’re, for sure, the greatest Canucks of all time, easily.”