Sedin twins, Luongo in 2022 Hockey HOF class
TORONTO — Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Canucks teammate Roberto Luongo, former Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson, Finnish women’s national team player Riikka Sallinen and Herb Carnegie were welcomed into the Hockey Hall of Fame as the class of 2022 on Monday.
The Sedin twins and Luongo were elected in their first years of eligibility back in June, while Alfredsson had waited since 2017. The induction of the Sedins and Alfredsson increased the number of Swedish players in the hall from four to seven.
Selected at No. 3 at the 1999 NHL draft — one spot behind Daniel — Henrik Sedin owns a big chunk of Vancouver’s record book as its leader in assists (830), points (1,070) and games played (1,330) in his 17 seasons.
The center playfully offered his two cents in the never-ending debate about whether he or his brother — with both having terrorized a generation of defenders with their vision and skill — was better.
“I missed 30 games in my career, and Danny’s production was not the same,” he said with a smirk. “In 2010, Danny missed 20 games. … I had 11 goals and nine assists.
“With Daniel I was barely a 20-goal scorer. Without him, I would have been a career 45-goal scorer.”
Henrik won the Hart Trophy as league MVP and the Art Ross Trophy as its leading scorer in 2009-10. He added 78 points in 105 playoff games that included the Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.
“You have always been a calming influence in my life,” Daniel, who spoke before Henrik, said of his brother. “In my mind, you are both a better hockey player than me [and a] better person than me.
“And I’m saying this sincerely, but also knowing that he will stand up here in about 10 minutes.”
Daniel Sedin’s 393 goals — many of them off a pass from Henrik — top Vancouver’s career list, and he sits second behind his brother in assists (648), points (1,041) and games played (1,306). He put up 71 points in 102 playoff appearances.
“I want to thank whoever it was that selected me to speak first,” Daniel said with a laugh. “It reminds me of draft day.”
Daniel won the Ted Lindsay Award as league MVP voted by NHL Players’ Association members as well as the Art Ross in 2010-11.
Henrik Sedin paid tribute to his brother’s drive.
“To know that someone would be in the gym every morning waiting for me on the days I felt like taking a day off, that’s what made me the player I was,” he said.
Luongo, who played eight seasons with the Sedins in Vancouver, was drafted by the New York Islanders and retired with the Florida Panthers, but the goaltender’s days on the West Coast paved the way for his enshrinement.
The 43-year-old ranked third in NHL history with 489 wins when he retired in 2019 after 19 seasons. He sits second in games played (1,044), shots against (30,924) and saves (28,409).
Luongo said that when he got the news he would be inducted, the first thing he asked was if the Sedins would be joining him.
“Wanted it so bad,” he said. “Proud to say that I played with you guys.”
Luongo twice won 40 games with the Canucks and made at least 70 appearances in four straight seasons.
A three-time Vezina Trophy finalist as the league’s top goalie, he finished second in the 2007 Hart voting and won two Olympic gold medals (2010, 2014) with Canada.
“I’ve never been around anyone with the same determination and willingness to do anything to get better,” Henrik Sedin said.
Alfredsson registered 444 goals, 713 assists and 1,157 points during his 18 NHL campaigns, which included 17 with the Senators. He added 100 points in 124 playoff contests.
An unknown sixth-round pick when he arrived in the nation’s capital, Alfredsson won the Calder Trophy in 1996 as NHL rookie of the year.
Ottawa’s career leader in goals, assists and points, he captured Olympic gold in 2006 for Sweden alongside the Sedins and guided Ottawa to the 2007 Cup final — a first for a European captain.
Alfredsson paid tribute to former teammates, trainers and coaches, including the late Bryan Murray, but also touched on a cause close to his heart.
“The pressures of hockey for some can become unbearable,” he said. “Mental health issues are a reality of our game. We’re long overdue to finally erase the stigma.”
Sallinen, who wasn’t in attendance, played 16 seasons with her national team, won Olympic bronze 20 years apart (1998, 2018) and is the first non-North American woman inducted into the Hall. She added a silver at the 2019 world championship to go along with six third-place showings.
Carnegie, who died in 2012 at age 92, has often been mentioned as the most talented Black player to never reach the NHL.
After a long career in senior leagues where he faced racism that kept him from achieving his ultimate dream, Carnegie founded Future Aces, one of Canada’s first hockey schools, in 1955. His work at the grassroots level pushing for more diversity led to his induction into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
New York Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo sat out Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Braves because of soreness on his right side, but he said it was realistic that he’ll return to the lineup on Monday.
Nimmo exited Saturday’s game after the fourth inning with right intercostal irritation. He felt discomfort when he held up on a swing in the second and was checked by manager Carlos Mendoza and an athletic trainer.
Nimmo, who is hitting .228 with five home runs and a team-high 25 RBI, said core testing went well and he wanted to see if he could play Sunday night, but Mendoza nixed that idea this early in the season. Nimmo said he won’t have an MRI unless problems arise when he tries swinging, which he planned to do Sunday evening.
“Everything looks good right now,” Nimmo said. “… It’s a little like, sore. So it’s like as if you worked out on it or something like that maybe a little too much. But other than that, it’s pretty good.”
The Mets start a series vs. the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.
DJ Stewart replaced Nimmo in left field and the leadoff spot Sunday.
“I’m pretty optimistic that we caught it early,” Mendoza said. “We were able to treat it last night, and he’s feeling good today.”
In other injury news, it’s unclear when No. 1 starter Kodai Senga will throw live batting practice again or begin a minor league rehab assignment during his recovery from a right shoulder capsule strain.
Senga faced hitters twice in the past two weeks, but he’s back to just throwing bullpens probably for the next week or so, Mendoza said.
“We don’t want to put him at risk,” Mendoza said. “He’s very meticulous about his craft.”
Elsewhere, right-hander Tylor Megill (shoulder strain) pitched 5 1/3 shutout innings for Triple-A Syracuse, allowing seven hits with six strikeouts and no walks. He is expected to be reinstated from his rehab assignment this week, and the Mets must decide whether to bring him back to the big leagues or option him to Syracuse.
Right-handed reliever Drew Smith (shoulder soreness) could come off the injured list Monday or Tuesday, and left-hander David Peterson (left hip surgery) is scheduled to make another rehab start Tuesday at Double-A Binghamton and could be ready to come off the IL when eligible on May 27.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
DARLINGTON, S.C. — Brad Keselowski moved to the front when leaders Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick hit while battling for first with nine laps left and held on to capture the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday for his first NASCAR win in three years.
It was Keselowski’s 36th career victory, his second at Darlington and his first since reconnecting with magnate Jack Roush and becoming a co-owner at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing.
“Hell of an effort by everyone,” Keselowski said after crossing the finish line.
It appeared Keselowski’s employee at RFK, Buescher, would get the win after he passed his boss and Reddick with 29 laps to go. But Buescher and Reddick then hit and fell back, opening the door for Keselowski’s satisfying victory.
“What a heck of a day,” he said. “That battle out there with my teammate and Tyler Reddick, we just laid it all on the line.”
Ty Gibbs was second, Josh Berry third and Denny Hamlin fourth. Chase Briscoe was fifth followed by William Byron, Bubba Wallace, Justin Haley and Michael McDowell.
It was another near miss for Buescher, who lost by 0.001 seconds to Kyle Larson at Kansas in the closest finish in NASCAR history.
Buescher slid to 30th and Reddick 32nd at Darlington.
Buescher confronted Reddick when both got out of their cars. Reddick took full blame for the incident.
Larson was in the top 10 when he spun out with 40 laps left and could not return.
Meanwhile, one slipup ended the chances of two NASCAR champions. Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr. and Byron were three-wide on Lap 128 when Byron tagged Truex, who pushed into Blaney and sent him against the wall in Turn 2.
The crew for Blaney, the defending Cup Series champion, could not repair the damage, and his day was done. He rode up alongside Byron to signal his displeasure with Byron’s move.
“He used a little bit more racetrack than I thought, so I have every right to be mad, and he gets away scot-free,” said Blaney, who wound up last in 36th place.
Truex, the 2017 series champion, dropped from the top 10 and finished 25th.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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