It's sort of hard to imagine the Vancouver Canucks without a pair of Sedins on the roster, but that will soon be a reality.
Daniel and Henrik Sedin announced Monday that this would be their final NHL season. The 37-year-old Swedish twins delivered the news via a letter to fans published on the Canucks' website.
We started the year with the mindset that a decision would be made in the postseason. But it became clear, after discussions with our families throughout the year, that this will be our last season. This feels right for all of us.
Being part of the Canucks family for 18 seasons has been the best period of our lives. But it's time to focus on our families and life after hockey. It's time to help with homework every night. It's time to be at every birthday party and to stand in the cold at every hockey rink, soccer game and riding lesson on weekends. It's time to be at home for dinner every night.
The announcement comes with three games remaining in the season. Those final games will undoubtedly be emotional for the brothers and the Canucks fans that have cheered them on for nearly two decades in Vancouver.
We're saying it now because we want to share these final three games with you. We also want to share these games with our families, friends, teammates, coaches, trainers, staff and everyone at the Canucks who have supported us. You've all been with us every step of the way, and we want to thank you.
It seems only right that the Sedin twins walk away from the game together, as they have spent their entire careers in lockstep with one another. Daniel and Henrik were drafted by the Canucks second and third overall in 1999, respectively, and have played alongside each other in Vancouver ever since. Each of the six NHL contracts they both signed along the way were identical.
Both have put amassed outstanding NHL careers and they could both wind up enshrined alongside one another in the Hockey Hall of Fame in the future. They each have over 1,000 points to their name in over 1,300 NHL games played. Henrik won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading point-getter in 2009-2010, and Daniel achieved the same honor a year later. (Although Henrik paired his with a Hart Trophy as league MVP, Daniel did not.)
They'll finish their lengthy careers without a Stanley Cup title, though they did reach a Cup Final together in 2011. The Canucks lost to the Bruins in seven games.
Their departure from the game comes as the Canucks are struggling on the ice. The team is currently one of the league's worst, and has been for the past few years. They're likely entering into a full-on rebuild, which might have played a role in the Sedins' decision to retire despite still being able to play the game at a competitive level.
It's time to let the next generation of young players lead the Canucks. [Canucks head coach Travis Green] is building a strong culture and emphasizes a style of play we know will be successful. The team is in great hands, with people who care about its success and it's headed in the right direction. We know there is a bright future for the Canucks.
As tough as it will be for the Sedins to say goodbye to the game and to fans, it will likely be just as difficult for the fans to say goodbye to the Sedins. On the bright side, the Canucks will now enter a transition period with $14 million in additional cap space, which could prove to be the twins' final assist for the organization.