The Hockey Hall of Fame announced its 2022 class of inductees earlier this week, and for the Vancouver Canucks and their fans, it is a bittersweet reminder of what could have been.
Half of the players set to be inducted later in the year spent a significant amount of time playing for the Canucks. Brothers Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin played their entire 17-year careers with Vancouver, while goaltender Roberto Luongo called British Columbia home for eight years.
Witness history as hockey’s newest legends are welcomed to the #HHOF!
— Hockey Hall of Fame (@HockeyHallFame) June 28, 2022
View the Induction Ceremony LIVE from the iconic Meridian Hall Theatre on November 14. Tickets now on sale at https://t.co/1ni74m4C9K pic.twitter.com/ltK9sEHYGU
Luongo joined the Sedin twins ahead of the 2006-2007 season. In their first year together, the Hall of Fame trio set a new franchise record for points in a season, one that they would later break again, en route to the first of six division titles together.
The first-year goaltender for the Canucks was the runner-up for both the Hart Trophy and the Vezina Trophy that year.
The 2022 Hall of Fame class is bittersweet for the Canucks.
In 2010, Henrik had his moment, winning the Hart Trophy and the Art Ross Trophy. His brother Daniel took home the Art Ross Trophy the following season, along with the Lester B. Pearson Award (now the Ted Lindsay Award).
As far as team success goes, this threesome peaked in 2011 when they guided the Canucks to a Western Conference title. Unfortunately, they would lose to the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
They won the Presidents’ Trophy that season and did so again in the 2011-2012 season, but as teammates, that Western Conference Final victory was their last series win.
For the organization and fanbase, these three players were a joy to watch for a long time. It’s easy to get caught up in championships and awards, but at the end of the day, three members of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s newest class played together for years, and that’s pretty special.
Of course, the bitter part of this is the fact that despite having three members of the same Hall of Fame class in the same locker room for so many years, they were never able to win the Stanley Cup.
The Canucks benefitted greatly from having these three on the ice together, but even while celebrating their latest achievements, one can’t help but think about what could have been for Vancouver.