On this day in 2017, Vancouver Canucks forward Daniel Sedin hit a career milestone in the final year of his career, scoring his 1,000th career points in a 5-3 Canucks win over the Nashville Predators.
The hockey world had been holding its breath, eager to witness the historic moment that would etch the forward’s name into NHL history, and alas, that moment came. As the game unfolded that evening, the Canucks were down by one goal going into the third period. Just over 10 minutes into the final 20 minutes of regulation play, Sedin came in with a wrist shot on the power play, beating Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne between the pads to even the score at three. The assist came from his twin brother Henrik Sedin and forward Brock Boeser.
“I wanted it to be a goal and in a big win, too,” Sedin said. “We got both, so I’m extremely proud of the group. To be a part of this group, too, it’s amazing.”
Sedin went on to finish the game with 1,001 points after contributing an assist on a last-minute goal from Loui Eriksson. The milestone marked the forward as the 87th player in NHL history to notch 1,000 points alongside his brother, who surpassed the achievement in January 2017.
The memorable moment made history as the two brothers became the first siblings in NHL history to score 1,000 points individually, making Sedin the 19th player to hit the mark while playing for a single franchise.
Ironically, 999 points before Sedin scored his first NHL goal in October of 2000 against the Tampa Bay Lightning to tie the game at four with 1:13 to go in the third period. The goal was assisted by none other than his brother, which eventually paved the way for a 5-4 Canucks victory.
Drafted as the Canucks’ second overall pick in 1999, Sedin quickly established himself as a critical player; alongside his brother, the two formed one of the most formidable duos in NHL history. The forward played a total of 17 years in the NHL, all with the Canucks where he recorded 393 goals and 1041 points throughout 1306. In 2010-11, he became the recipient of the Art Ross Trophy and the Ted Lindsay award.
After reaching the milestone, the Sedin brothers announced to the hockey community on April 8th, 2017, that when the season concluded, the two of them would be hanging up their skates, choosing to retire from the game they made history playing. Sedin would finish his final season as the King Clancy Memorial Trophy recipient.
More must-reads: