From Franchise Icons to Front Office Leaders: The Sedins’ Next Chapter with the Canucks
- Karinna Leonard
- May 25
- 5 min read
Following a disastrous season in Vancouver, things are beginning to look up with several major front-office changes. After a round of interviews, the Canucks hired Ryan Johnson as the franchise's new general manager. Johnson has spent the past 13 seasons with the organization in various roles, most recently serving as assistant general manager of the NHL club and general manager of the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks.
Under Johnson's leadership, Abbotsford put together an impressive finish during the 2024-25 season, capturing the team's first Calder Cup championship in franchise history. His promotion signals a broader organizational reset as the Canucks search for a new direction.
A coaching hire also looms, with many fans hoping current Abbotsford head coach Manny Malhotra will step into the role. Alongside Johnson, franchise icons Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin have been named co-presidents of hockey operations.
After being selected second and third overall in the 1999 NHL Draft, the Sedin twins spent 17 seasons redefining hockey in Vancouver. Widely regarded as the greatest players in franchise history, the twins became synonymous with an era of sustained success for the Canucks and helped transform the team into a perennial contender during the late 2000s and early 2010s. Although they never captured a Stanley Cup, the Sedins became the standard for what being a Canuck meant.
The numbers alone cement their legacy, as the pair finished their careers as the top two scorers in franchise history. Henrik sits atop the Canucks leaderboard with 1,068 points (240 goals, 828 assists), while Daniel is second with 1,038 (391 goals, 647 assists). The twins also rank first and second in games played in a Vancouver uniform, with Henrik appearing in 1,330 games and Daniel skating in 1,306.
Beyond the statistics, the Sedins helped establish the identity of modern Canucks hockey, as their unselfish style of play and quiet leadership earned the respect of teammates and fans across the league.
Henrik served as captain for eight seasons beginning in 2010, leading Vancouver to Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. That same era represented the peak of the franchise, with Henrik capturing both the Hart Trophy and Art Ross Trophy in 2010, while Daniel followed by winning the Art Ross Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award in 2011. Daniel also served as an alternate captain and was an integral part of the team’s leadership core throughout their careers.
The Sedins remain the only brothers in NHL history to each record 1,000 career points. They are also the only players to reach the milestone entirely as members of the Canucks and the only siblings ever to win the Art Ross Trophy in consecutive seasons. In 2022, they were both inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the same class, becoming the ninth set of brothers to enter the Hall in the players category, but the first ever brothers to be inducted together.
In his induction speech Henrik spoke directly to his brother, saying, "Apart from your on-ice greatness, the thing that made me get to where I am standing here tonight is what you did off the ice. To know that someone would be in the gym every morning waiting for me, even on the days I felt like taking a day off, that's what made me the player I was. When people ask where confidence comes from, that's where it came from, our preparation." That same mindset now carries into their new roles, where preparation, discipline, and accountability will be expected to define how the organization is rebuilt from the ground up.
Following their retirement, the Sedins stepped away from hockey for three seasons before returning to the organization as special advisers to the general manager during the 2021-22 season. Ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, the twins transitioned into player development roles, working both on and off the ice with players in Vancouver and Abbotsford.
Throughout every stage of their careers, the Sedins have remained deeply connected to the city and community that embraced them for nearly two decades. Under the twins, accountability, culture, and community involvement became central parts of the Canucks identity. In recent years, however, that image has eroded amid locker-room turmoil and organizational instability.
Canucks chairman and governor Francesco Aquilini described the hiring by saying, "For the past 26 years, Daniel and Henrik have dedicated their entire professional hockey careers to Vancouver, whether as players or in various management positions. They've always committed themselves to excellence. As remarkable in their ongoing, heartfelt commitment to giving back to our community and everything we've asked of them and everything they have given to us, they have made us stronger."
Their introductory press conference immediately brought optimism back to the city. Daniel outlined the vision moving forward, saying, "Three words that we will live by: connected, committed and purpose. We want to reestablish the connection from top to bottom within this organization, but also in the community, to this fanbase and to the city of Vancouver and the province of BC. And we have a clear vision that will connect us to be a sustainable winning culture."
For a fan base exhausted by years of dysfunction, those words resonated deeply.
Henrik continued that message, saying, "We want people to be proud to be Canucks fans again,” while also emphasizing that “Culture is huge. You cannot win without it. That’s impossible." Daniel echoed his brother’s focus on reconnecting with the city, stating, "We should be the number one organization in the NHL when it comes to community involvement."
While straightforward, those statements addressed frustrations that have lingered around the organization for years. More importantly, the promises were immediately followed by action. Just days after their introductions, Johnson and the Sedins visited Canuck Place, a children’s hospice providing medical respite and 24-hour nursing care for children with life-threatening illnesses.
Courtesy of Canucks/X
For Vancouver, the Sedins have always represented more than hockey players. They embodied professionalism, humility, leadership, and a connection to the community that made them beloved far beyond their accomplishments on the ice.
With the franchise entering another transitional period, the Canucks are once again placing their trust in two figures who have long represented stability in Vancouver. The Sedins built their legacy by leading with heart both on the ice and in the community, and those same values now shape the organization’s new direction.
The task ahead will not be easy. Johnson and the Sedins are now responsible for helping Vancouver recover from one of the most disappointing seasons in the franchise’s 55-year history. Fortunately for the Canucks, the Sedins have never been afraid of a steep climb —especially one in Vancouver.
Edited by: Kelly Cassette
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