The Vancouver Canucks have never selected first overall in the NHL Draft, but they are hoping for a change in fortune on Tuesday. The team has announced that Henrik and Daniel Sedin, legendary twins and Hall of Famers, will represent the organization at the draft lottery in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Jim Rutherford, president of hockey operations, confirmed the decision to Postmedia on Saturday, calling it a very appropriate choice to send the Sedins to the NHL Network’s studios. The Canucks have a 25.5 percent chance of landing the first overall pick, an 18.8 percent chance of picking second, and a 55.7 percent chance of selecting third.
The Canucks have never picked first overall, though they were set to do so in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. Then-general manager Brian Burke famously traded for the first overall pick from the Tampa Bay Lightning, moving the fourth overall pick and two third-round picks. However, to call the Sedins to the stage together, he dealt the first overall pick to Atlanta in exchange for a promise to select Patrik Stefan instead of either Swedish twin. The Canucks held the third overall pick and used it to select Daniel second and Henrik third, matching their future jersey numbers of 22 and 33.
This year, the Canucks are hoping for better luck. The Sedins, who were drafted in 1999 and later inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, will be the team's representatives at the lottery.
