Henrik Sedin has become the first-ever Vancouver Canucks player to be named the National Hockey League’s most valuable player.
Sedin, 29, topped the league in scoring and beat out superstars Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby to win the Hart Memorial Trophy during the NHL’s annual awards show last night in Las Vegas.
The award is given to the player voted most valuable to his team. Sedin had 894 points, 60 more than second place Ovechkin.
“I was just standing there,” Sedin told Kristin Reid of Canucks.com after the show. “I didn’t think they were going to mention my name. I thought it would be Alex or Sidney. I was a little surprised and happy.”
Sedin notched 112 points and was a plus-35 in his outstanding 2009-2010 season, winning the scoring race and becoming the first Canucks player to win the Art Ross Trophy.
For the Swede, the awards capped a season that saw him set three franchise records, including passing Trevor Linden as the team’s all-time assist leader and breaking Pavel Bure’s single season point record.
He thanked past teammates Markus Naslund, Mattias Ohlund and even first-line mate Trent Klatt for taking care of him and twin brother Daniel during their first couple of years in the league.
Fellow Canucks forward Ryan Kesler, also in Las Vegas for the awards last night, finished runner-up to Detroit Red Wing Pavel Datsyuk for the Frank J. Selke Trophy for best defensive forward.
