A quarter of the way into the season, Daniel and Henrik Sedin are still preaching patience - but not passivity.
The Vancouver Canucks co-presidents spoke Thursday morning about where the team stands after 20 games, and their message was clear: the progress is real, the inconsistency is real too, and the work is still in the details. They said the group has shown encouraging stretches, but the challenge now is holding that level for a full 60 minutes.
Daniel said the organization is focused on daily improvement rather than sweeping changes.
“Our staff is looking at our game every day, identifying areas where we can improve and finding ways to become more consistent. It's not about making wholesale changes or losing sight of what we're trying to build. It's about continuing to get better at details, trust in the process, and making sure we're taking steps forward,” Daniel said.
“We have confidence in the coaching staff. We have confidence in this group of players, and we believe in what we're working towards.”
Henrik also made it clear the Canucks understand the frustration that comes with a rebuild, while stressing that the organization is not standing still.
“We also want people to understand that we're not sitting back and accepting where things stand. There's a lot of work being done, there's a lot of belief within this group, and we're focused on continuing to move in the right direction. We're a quarter way through the season, we're just taking the first steps of the rebuild, and we're working hard to make a change,” Henrik said.
The Sedins pointed to the start of the schedule as part of the story, noting the Canucks have been facing tough opponents early. What has stood out to them through the first 20 games is the way head coach Manny Malhotra and his staff have handled the rough patches.
“Manny and his coaching staff, their ability to come obviously after some tough losses this start this season, they come back the day after looking for solutions. They're very honest about in their conversations about what needs to get better, and I think that's the only way to get better as a group is to have those conversations,” Daniel said.
They also said the locker room has stayed connected through the losses, with players sticking together as they work through the growing pains. The Sedins stressed that experience matters, especially when a team is learning how to respond to adversity and turn lessons into wins.
For them, the difference between hanging around in games and actually closing them out comes down to the little things. They said the Canucks are still trying to make those details more consistent, and the next step is winning the tight games that hinge on execution and focus.
“We're learning a lot about our players right now. I think the players are learning a lot about themselves. They need to they need to learn how to deal with adversity and get there every day,” Daniel said.
“Our belief is that our players are going to look every day as an opportunity to get better because they don't want to be in this situation again. That's how we think every day too.
We don't want to be here again and be in this situation. So that's the way our players need to look at it.
If they shy away from that, then they shouldn't be here. We need players that can push through adversity, become mentally strong, and there's going to be no difference when you start making the playoffs.”
They also offered an update on Thatcher Demko, saying the goaltender is still rehabbing and improving, but there remains no set timeline for his return.
“There's no real timeline and he's here, he's rehabbing, he's in a good mood, he's getting better. But again, there's no real timeline on when he's playing,” Henrik said.
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