Sedin Twins Luongo and Alfredsson Lead Class of 2022 Hockey Hall of Fame – TSN.ca

TORONTO — Daniel Sedin has been in the spotlight with his brother since they joined the NHL.

The dynamic, stunning duo’s playing career ended and one of the greatest honors in the game was waved by the younger sibling – a full six minutes – minus his front and center twin Friday as the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2022 ceremonies began.

Henrik Sedin is recovering from a battle with COVID-19 and was not present but is expected to attend the rest of the celebrations ahead of Monday’s induction ceremony.

“He wanted to make sure he was 100 percent there,” said Daniel Sedin. “We’ll have a good three or four days together. We’re together most days.”

Then, with a grin at his brother’s brief absence, he added: “Maybe it’s a good thing, too.”

Vancouver Canucks teammate Roberto Luongo Daniel Sedin, former Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson and Bernice Carnegie, daughter of master builder Herb Carnegie, received their Hall of Fame rings on Friday.

Finland women’s international Riikka Sallinen, who is completing this year’s class, was also absent.

The Sedin twins and Luongo were elected to the hall in their first electoral years in June, while Alfredsson has been waiting since 2017.

“You never expect that to happen,” said Daniel Sedin. “And then you get the call.”

The catalyst for most of Henrik’s setups during her 17 seasons with the Canucks on one of hockey’s most terrifying lines. The winger’s 393 goals is #1 in franchise history.

He ranks second in assists (648), points (1,041), and games played (1,306), along with 71 points in 102 playoff appearances, including Vancouver’s run to the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals.

Daniel Sedin won the 2010-11 Ted Lindsay Award for league MVP, voted for by members of the NHL Players’ Association, and the Art Ross Trophy for the NHL’s top scorer.

“It’s the ultimate proof as an ice hockey player that you’ve done something good,” said the 42-year-old about his call-up.

“A great honor.”

Picked third overall in the 1999 draft — one spot behind his younger brother — Henrik Sedin owns a large chunk of the Canucks’ record book as leaders in assists (830), points (1,070) and games played (1,330).

The center won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and the Art Ross Trophy in 2009-10. He added 23 goals and 78 points in 105 playoff games.

Luongo, who played eight seasons with the Sedins in Vancouver, joked he would have to wait until Henrik arrived in Toronto before he could pull out a deck.

“He’s the best sponsor,” the 43-year-old joked of his former captain’s poker skills.

Luongo was drafted by the New York Islanders and retired with the Florida Panthers, but the goaltender’s days on the West Coast led to his indoor visit.

He ranked third in NHL history when he quit with 489 wins and ranks second to Martin Brodeur in games played (1,044), shots against (30,924), and saves (28,409).

The Montreal native twice won 40 games with Vancouver, including 47 wins in the 2006-07 season, and averaged at least 70 games in four straight seasons.

Luongo was a three-time Vezina Trophy finalist and finished second to Sidney Crosby in the 2007 Hart Vote.

The quick-witted goalkeeper led Canada to Olympic gold in Vancouver 2010 before assisting Carey Price in Sochi with another podium four years later.

“You look around and you see all the plaques, you see all the names,” Luongo said. “It’s pretty special.”

Alfredsson recorded 444 goals, 713 assists and 1,157 points in his 18 NHL seasons, including 17 with the Senators. He added 100 points in 124 playoff contests.

Alfredsson, a sixth-round pick who eventually fits into Ottawa’s community fabric, won the 1996 Calder Trophy for 1996 NHL Rookie of the Year.

Alfredsson, who owns Ottawa’s goals, assists and points franchise brands, won Olympic gold for Sweden with the Sedins in 2006 and led Ottawa to the 2007 Cup final.

Alfredsson, who is due to turn 50 next month, was sidelined for the first four years of indoor eligibility before the 2021 class was scrapped because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Surreal,” he said of the experience since learning he was going to be adored. “It’s humiliating. It’s been a few months since we knew about it but now this weekend when family and friends are around it’s really starting to hit you.

“Such a great honor to be among the players in front of us.”

An Olympic bronze medalist 20 years apart in 1998 and 2018, Sallinen played 16 seasons with her national team.

The 49-year-old, who scored 63 goals and provided 59 assists in 81 games for Finland, added silver at the 2019 World Cup along with six third-place finishes.

Carnegie, who died in 2012 at the age of 92, has often been cited as the best black hockey player who never played in the NHL.

After a long career in senior leagues where he faced racism that prevented him from achieving his ultimate NHL dream, Carnegie founded Future Aces in 1955, one of Canada’s first ice hockey schools.

He was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 and inducted into the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada.

“This moment is not just about our family because my father influenced millions of young people,” said Bernice Carnegie. “Everything he’s put into hockey, everything he’s put into the community for him to be here now, I feel a sense of peace.

“He belongs here.”

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on November 11, 2022.

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