Canucks: How Henrik and Daniel Sedin carry culture into new challenge

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‘Culture is huge and the main thing to fall back on. You cannot live without it. That’s impossible. You cannot be sustainable without it.’ — Henrik Sedin

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Published May 15, 2026 • Last updated 0 minutes ago • 7 minute read

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canucks Canucks co-presidents Henrik Sedin (left) and Daniel Sedin (centre), along with general manager Ryan Johnson, address the media on Thursday at Rogers Arena. Photo by Nick Procaylo /PNGArticle content

It was always about respect. And it still is.

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Henrik and Daniel Sedin are willingly afforded it and earned it by the manner in which the consummate professionals piled up NHL points with incredible artistry and treated teammates like family.

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Their legendary status as Vancouver Canucks icons was cemented with Hockey Hall of Fame inductions and jersey retirements. It was augmented Thursday by being named co-presidents to lead and support Ryan Johnson as 13th general manager in franchise history.

It didn’t take Henrik, a former considerate club captain, long to hit on what matters most for a long and arduous roster rebuild awaiting the league’s last-place team. He knows attitude is everything and the environment must be inviting, inclusive and not divisive.

It’s a major leap for the Sedins from player development and being on the ice on a regular basis to provide pointers to impressionable prospects and roster regulars at NHL and AHL levels. However, no team will get anywhere without the collective by-in, and the affable Swedish twins can bring the heat when warranted.

They understand the culture because they lived it as players and voices of reason long ago. They kept wide-eyed and entitled rookies Jake Virtanen and Jared McCann from straying into arrogance. That was 10 years ago, but relevant today.

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The Sedins saw a lot and did a lot to create harmony, leading by example and challenging malcontents.

Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Francesco Aquilini, Ryan Johnson hold jerseys Thursday to mark hockey ops occasion. Photo by Patrick Johnston /PNG

“We have to show up and lead by example. Culture is huge and the main thing to fall back on,” Henrik stressed to the media Thursday. “You cannot live without it. That’s impossible. You cannot be sustainable without it. You’ll see when this moves on and there’s a process and you build something good, you will win a lot of the trades you make.

“And you will bring in free agents to perform the way you expect. We have a clear vision. And to be a Vancouver Canuck, you have to be fiercely committed to making this one of the leading organizations. We expect everybody to leave this organization better than they found it.

“Our intent will allow people to perform under pressure. We know the strengths of this organization and we know what the fans want. And we think we can have an honest conversation with you (media) guys. It’s preparation. That gives us confidence that we can step into these roles.”

Added Daniel: “Every successful team we’ve been a part of had values and cornerstones. It could answer questions: Why are we here? And what do we stand for? Three words that we will live by are connected, committed and purpose.”

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Outgoing Canucks president Jim Rutherford has worn big management hats and won two Stanley Cups. He’s been here long enough to like what he sees in growth of the Sedins and Johnson.

“These are three men very well prepared for the positions and know what has happened here over a number of years,” Rutherford said following the press conference. “They’re in a very good place to be successful.”

It all sounded so good Thursday and turning a crucial competitive corner played out as the Canucks kept losing down the stretch, but compete was seldom a problem. And any team, and especially this rabid fan base, can live with the try because it brings hope and that’s what the rebuild is all about.

As long as everybody is tugging the rope.

Forwards Aatu Raty and Max Sasson keep mood light during practice at Rogers Arena. It’s a vital part of creating culture. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG

Canucks forward Max Sasson, 25, was in that middle ground between newbies and veterans this past season. He strived to create a better environment where players weren’t afraid to speak up or just be themselves. That’s where constant communication and even dinners on the road matter more than you think.

Again, that’s culture.

“If they’re a little hesitant to go up to the vets, they can talk to me. I have experience with the ups and downs and being a resource for whoever wants to talk to me, and those three especially (defencemen Zeev Buium, Tom Willander, Elias Pettersson),” the 2025 AHL Calder Cup champion told this reporter. “I lean on the experiences when I thought I would never even be here (NHL) and keep pushing to be a regular.”

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However, it wasn’t that way the past two troubling seasons.

An obvious disconnect between J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson in the 2024-25 campaign poisoned the room, affected their play, and led to Miller’s trade departure. And the circus that played out this past campaign was just as concerning.

The trickle-down effect of Quinn Hughes’ refusal to commit here long term — despite close friends Thatcher Demko, Brock Boeser and Conor Garland landing generous contract extensions July 1 — led to a divided room. Garland was traded and an influx of young and fun-loving defencemen rubbed some the wrong way.

How bad was the lack of culture?

“It hasn’t been right or a while but it turned a corner the last month of the season and the veterans who are still here are guys who worked toward culture,” said Rutherford.

Sasson cut to the chase of what went wrong in the room this season on a recent CHEK-TV appearance.

“You want to go in there with a smile and comfortability of being able to be yourself,” he said. “Having people around you that want you to succeed and you want them to succeed. I don’t think we had that for my first 1 1/2 years. At the end, it was great to see how tight the locker room got and how everyone kind of put their egos aside.

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“Just allowed everybody to be themselves. Guys stepped up their play because they weren’t thinking about this, or can I do that, and being judged. It’s huge.”

Added Johnson: “We want to have a safe environment where players can improve and make mistakes. We’re not going to race through this and we’re going to be very strategic with what we do. And if we stick to it, we’ll be to where we want to go.”

Forward Jared McCann of the Kraken celebrates goal against Canucks. He applied lessons from Sedins to hit new highs. Photo by Steph Chambers /Getty Images

Every team says that every year, even the 2015-16 edition of the Canucks that iced impressionable rookies in Virtanen, McCann and Ben Hutton. They all had their moments — both good and bad — because the product of youth can often be bravado to test the limits of what they can get away with.

Whether laziness, bad penalties, or an inflated sense of self worth, it comes withe the newbie territory and Virtanen and McCann were regulars in head coach Willie Desjardins’ doghouse. The Sedins handled Virtanen and McCann with tact.

They didn’t berate the rookies. They challenged them and recalled the struggles to get their games in order.

However, Daniel didn’t allow birth certificates to let young NHL players off the hook. He expected rookies to work on and off the ice, no matter what day, week or month. It’s how they practised and prepared for games, how hard they work in the gym and learning hard lessons of trying to win with a decimated lineup.

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That creates culture.

“You forget that they (rookies) are 19 years old, but we expect so much from them because we see it here and there,” Daniel told me back in 2016. “I look back. Where was I when I was 19? Back in Sweden. But there’s still a maturity level that needs to be there on a daily basis.

“We’ll take the mistakes as long as they put the work in every day, from each and every guy.”

It was a tough NHL transition for McCann. After scoring five goals in his first nine games that season, the centre finished with nine goals in 69 games. He struggled to develop strength to play harder and longer in traffic or be more efficient in the faceoff circle.

Daniel always maintained the tough stuff is something you can always work on.

“You take it to heart,” McCann said. “The young guys, we have to win battles and we can’t use our age as an excuse. He’s just pushing us to be better, and we haven’t earned anything. The Sedins are perfect role models and I know they’re going to rub off on me and push me to be better.”

The Canucks traded McCann that offseason along with second- and a fourth-round picks in exchange for Erik Gudbranson and a 2016 fifth-round pick. McCann would catch fire after being claimed by Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft.

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He has had 27, 29 and 40-goal campaigns and you’d like to think he benefitted from the Sedins’ guidance to mature and become a better player and pro.

“He’s the perfect human,” McCann said of Daniel. “Everything he does on and off the ice, he does it so well. He’s a leader and it’s hard to explain, but he’s probably one of the best role models you could ask for. I can’t say enough good things about him.”

While on the bench, McCann saw how the Sedins didn’t get caught up in blur of the game and made sure it suited them. They let the puck do the work. They flipped long-bomb passes and exhausted the opposition with their cycle game.

“They just slow it down,” marvelled McCann. “The more time you get is how respected you are around the league. Danny and Hank are like that, even with officials, and they’ve earned their way. They’re not the type of guys to gloat. If they do well, they move on because it’s a long game.”

And a reminder of how culture can carry a person and a team.

bkuzma@postmedia.com

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