Bertuzzi a big fan Canucks hiring Sedins: 'I couldn't be more proud'
It’s been more than 20 years since Todd Bertuzzi was a member of the Vancouver Canucks, but the team still holds a spot in his heart.
“I wish the Canucks the best of luck. I’m a huge fan. I’m always paying attention,” Bertuzzi said in an interview with Don Taylor and Rick Dhaliwal on CHEK.
The 51-year-old is up to date on the team’s front office shakeup, which two of his former teammates hired as co-presidents of hockey operations.
“These fans deserve better. I know the Sedins will bring it back. It’s a great city… Hopefully this thing gets turned around and they get back in the mix because hockey’s better when the Canucks are on top.”
Henrik and Daniel Sedin were teenagers when Bertuzzi met them for the first time at Vancouver Canucks training camp in 2000.
Even in those early days, when the twins struggled on the ice, they earned his respect.
“It was about five or six years of all-ears and no mouth, which is very impressive for a hockey player to do. To be able to come into an environment and use their eyes and their ears more than their mouth and kind of figure it out that way,” Bertuzzi said.
They’ve grown up a lot since draft day in 1999 (Vancouver Canucks/Facebook)
“I think they spent a lot of time watching a lot of the top players that they played with or against. They were students of the game. To be honest, they perfected the game, those two.”
It should come as no surprise that the Sedins have Bertuzzi’s full support today.
“I was extremely excited… I couldn’t be more proud of [them]. [They] went through a lot through their careers, and never wavered, and stayed consistent.”
"I was extremely excited.."
Former #Canucks Forward Todd Bertuzzi shared his reaction when he heard about Daniel and Henrik becomming Co-President's of #Canucks Hockey Ops.
Full interview..https://t.co/gpNwT5LNBS pic.twitter.com/7blQOny9D1
— Donnie & Dhali (@DonnieandDhali) May 27, 2026
Culture has been a hot topic since the Sedins took over, and Bertuzzi stressed its importance.
“The culture starts from the top. I think you have two of the most dedicated [people], understanding what the process of what a dressing room should look like… If your culture has a crack in it, it leaks out. That’s not a team, and that’s not something you want to be a part of. I don’t think they would allow that to happen.”
The Sedins have also spoken at length about improving the team’s work in the community. They’ve said they want to get the team back to being No. 1 in the league in that area.
“I listened to a couple of their things about getting back into the community and all that,” Bertuzzi said. “I know when we were there during the West Coast Express days with Brian Burke, it was the first thing that was always said. We get into that community and we become family.”
The new Canucks management team will soon be tested (Rob Williams/Daily Hive)
There’s certainly no shortage of people cheering the Sedins on in their new roles, but they’re about to be tested. Along with new general manager Ryan Johnson, they’re about to make their first draft picks, hirings, trades, and free agent signings.
We’ll see how they do over time, but unlike past regimes, they’re promising to take a patient approach.
“To do this as fast as possible, we’ve got to be very careful and go slow,” Henrik said at the introductory press conference. “I think that’s the fastest way to get to where we want to be.”