Sedin twins leave the NHL the same way they arrived: Together

Earlier this season, we took a look at the Vancouver Canucks, specifically examining the young players who were signaling a changing of the guard . Part of that was the uncertain futures of Henrik and Daniel Sedin.

This past weekend, the uncertainty disappeared. The twins announced that, after 17 years in the league, they will be retiring following the Canucks' season finale in Edmonton Saturday.

The farewell tour is a brief one for the Sedins. There are just a few games left, and the Canucks aren't going to the postseason. It seems like such an incredibly abrupt goodbye given all that the Sedins have accomplished in their 17 years in the NHL.

Since being drafted by Vancouver in 1999 — taken second (Daniel) and third (Henrik) overall, respectively — the twin Swedes have become the faces of the Canucks franchise. They top the list of all-time points leaders in the team's history, reaching the 1,000-point mark within months of each other, with Daniel sitting as Vancouver's all-time leader in goals, while Henrik is the franchise's leader in assists and points. Their feats make them the second highest-scoring brothers duo in NHL history, behind only the Gretzky brothers due to Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL best 1,963 points added to brother Brent Gretzky's four.

The Sedins were given the "C" and the "A" in 2010, following a season when Henrik won the Art Ross Trophy and the Hart Memorial Trophy. Henrik was named captain, Daniel an alternate. They've worn the captaincy and alternate captaincy monikers well, earning praise as the leaders on the stat sheet and in the locker room when the team has thrived and taking the blame with grace when the team has struggled, as it has the past few seasons.

Even though their numbers have dwindled in recent years and the Canucks have been in a state of decline for some time, it still took many people aback when the Sedins announced that they would hang up their skates in a week's time. Even more startling, they revealed in a press conference that they had made the decision about four months ago. NHL fans the world over surely would have given the future Hall of Fame twins a proper send-off during the season had they known this would be the last time they'd get to see the Sedins in the NHL.

Perhaps there is a reason for the truncated farewell caravan. SportsNet's Iain MacIntyre noted after the Canucks' shootout loss to the powerhouse Las Vegas Golden Knights Tuesday night that the first two frames were largely dedicated to the Sedins even though at that point their team was losing. While Bo Horvat opened up three-goal frenzy from Vancouver and suddenly the team was back in business, the attention Daniel and Henrik were receiving overshadowed what was actually happening on the ice.

It appears that the shortened goodbye is meant to keep it from being a distraction. The team has already been in a state of flux. Horvat could potentially take over Henrik's spot as captain, rookie Brock Boeser has emerged as a scoring threat across the league and youngster Nikolay Goldobin has found a groove in Vancouver. If anything, a short and sweet farewell takes some of the pressure off the players who aren't hanging up their skates after Saturday night constantly having to answer questions about how they'll possibly take up the slack next season for two franchise icons.

While the goodbye is abrupt, there are still two games left for fans and teams to show their appreciation. The Canucks play their home finale on Thursday against the Coyotes before ending the season facing the Oilers up in Edmonton.

If the Sedins have it their way, it will be a quiet, brilliant end to coinciding quietly brilliant careers. Either way, Daniel and Henrik Sedin will end their NHL careers the same way they began: Together, donning Canucks sweaters, capping off two of the most remarkable runs the sport has ever seen.