Twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin will remain a vital part of the Vancouver Canucks – they signed matching four-year contracts on Friday.
Although they could have become unrestricted free agents starting in the summer of 2014, the twins decided to sign the $28 million deal to stay Canucks, the only NHL team they've ever played for.
"We want to win. That's the bottom line," Daniel said, according to the Associated Press. "You realize as you get older, your chances are getting slimmer and slimmer. We want to have a good team around us, and I think we do."
His brother, Henrik, explained that their decision was not influenced by money. "People that know us, know that money is a small part of the whole negotiation thing," he said. "We've always loved it here. Our families love it here, and that's a major thing. To be part of a great team for the next couple years, that was the most important thing for us.”
CBS Sports reports that this contract is only $900,000 more a year than their previous 5-year contract they signed after the 1999 NHL draft, where Daniel and Henrik were second and third round picks, respectively.
The team first made the announcement on their Twitter page.
JUST IN. Canucks re-sign Daniel and Henrik Sedin for 4 years.
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) November 1, 2013
Canucks captain Henrik Sedin leads the NHL with 15 assists this season and is tied for secont with 18 points. He also tops the record boards for the Canucks franchise for most points with 792, while Daniel follows right behind him in second place with 773 points. Henrik also holds records for most assists (610) and most consecutive games played (629).
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons