Music: {allcanada} NASLUND REFLECTS ON SEDINS' GROWTH

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

{allcanada} NASLUND REFLECTS ON SEDINS' GROWTH

The Vancouver Province spoke with Markus Naslund via Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, where he's enjoying his post-hockey-playing job as general manager of Modo in the Swedish Elite League. The former Canucks captain was extremely pleased for Henrik Sedin, who's on the verge of surpassing him as the NHL club's all-time leading scorer.

Naslund and the Sedins grew up in the same small northern Swedish town of Ornskoldsvik, but Naslund said he didn't really know the twins until they were drafted by the Canucks in 1999. Naslund admits he can't pretend he foresaw the heights that Henrik and Daniel would reach in the NHL — a Hart and Art Ross Trophy for Henrik and an Art Ross and a Ted Lindsay for Daniel — when they arrived as fresh-faced 19-year-olds at their first NHL training camp, but he definitely saw the raw materials.

"I don't know if you look at who's going to score these kinds of points or who's going to end up being a captain, but it's fun to see them mature as people and how they've led the team year after year and become comfortable in that role," said Naslund, who played seven seasons in Vancouver with the Sedins.

"That first training camp you could see they were special players. With all the training they've put in, it's never being satisfied. That's what got them to where they are."

While Henrik — and likely Daniel as well later this season — will surpass Naslund on the Canucks' career points list, he knows that their jerseys also will eventually share a spot in the rafters of Rogers Arena with his retired No. 19, the No. 12 of Stan Smyl and the No. 16 of Trevor Linden.

"That whole thing is quite unique with the connection that Ornskoldsvik and Modo have had with the Canucks, with Thomas Gradin and Lars Lindgren and Lars Molin, Samme Pahlsson, the twins and myself," said Naslund.

"Vancouver is a team that is closely watched in our hometown here. Such a small city having that connection with an NHL team is something we're proud of."