After slow start to career, Sedins prove worthy

GAME DAY: TORONTO AT VANCOUVER, 4 P.M.

VANCOUVER — Daniel Sedin will rightfully be honoured this afternoon before the start of the Hockey Night in Canada game at Rogers Arena, in front of the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. The brothers will probably be honoured one more time — when they leave the Canucks. It should be more. Really, the Sedins got off easy. Yes, they were cruelly, unfairly mocked by fans, media and even players. And people said, well into their NHL careers, they’d never make it.

They had already made it, but the thought was they would never be worth the two top picks from which their illustrious Vancouver careers were birthed. Whoops. But just picture the deafening social media shrieking if their careers started now, instead of 17 years ago.

It’s the age of immediacy, where knee-jerk declarations are not only common, they are required. After his fourth season, Henrik was 24 years old and he had just reached his highest point total at 42.

I suspect that would have inspired a lot of “hashtag bust” and “RIP Canucks” comments, not only here but around the country.

On their paths to 1,000 points, those early years were the dark days for them and the rest of Vancouver, too. Its hockey-adoring population still suffers the residual guilt.

It’s one reason why the hockey fans are so resolute in defending the Sedins even against the slightest of slights.

The NHL felt the wrath this week. The league’s social media team celebrated Daniel’s 1,000th point Thursday night in Nashville by tweeting: “Might not be the prettiest, but it’s worthy of 1,000 points for Daniel Sedin.”

For those who didn’t see the milestone point, Daniel’s shot was tipped in by a Predators’ stick. Because of it, there aren’t many east of the Kootenays who would have noted that tweet as being, well, offensive.

In Vancouver, however, it was seen entirely differently.

Honestly, it was a perfect way for him to reach 1,000 points. Daniel, from the top of the slot, nearly ruled hockey for a couple of seasons, and that’s from where he got this goal.

It also came midway in the third period and tied what was among the most exciting Canucks games in three seasons. Sure, the bar is low, but that was still some fun.

It was fitting it came from a Brock Boeser pass, too. The rookie is at the front of the line among those who the Sedins are figuratively handing the keys to in this, the season many believe will be their last.

Did the league do it justice? Of course not, and Vancouver sure let it know about it.

Not long after that little social media brush fire was ignited, the NHL deleted the tweet.

In the big picture, a “not the prettiest” comment wasn’t really that bad. It was, however, symbolic of the sense in Vancouver that the Sedins really never get their due.

The lockout came after the Sedins’ fourth season. They returned to Sweden and improved their skating, among other things. When Vancouver next saw them, their careers took off.

In Henrik’s next seven seasons, he hit at least 70 points in all of them. It was a remarkable run of consistency during which time the Sedins were among the very best in the game.

Were they fêted that way outside of Vancouver? It never felt like it. It always seemed a lot of people never got over the early years. They did here.

This world would have been more difficult for the Sedins as young players to navigate without being sunk. It would have been harder for them to escape the noise. And no one can be sure how it would have all gone down.

Thankfully, they came into the league in the nick of time.