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Alex Edler will officially retire as the all-time leading scorer among Vancouver Canucks defencemen. But he cut it close.
The Canucks announced on Tuesday that Edler, who did not play in the NHL in the 2023-24 season, will sign a one-day contract to officially retire as a member of the Canucks. The team will celebrate Edler's career at their October 11 game against the Philadelphia Flyers, which will be their second home game of the season.
“I am humbled and honoured to officially end my career and retire as a member of the Vancouver Canucks,” said Edler in a statement. “I consider myself lucky to have started my career with such an outstanding organization, in this amazing city, with the best fans in the NHL. Finishing my NHL career where it all began is something very special for myself and my family.”
Edler's time in Vancouver started when he was selected in the third round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. His selection has become a legend in Canucks circles involving Thomas Gradin taking a train ride to the middle of nowhere to watch him play in Sweden's third-tier men's league.
Just don't call the league Edler was playing in a "glorified beer league," as many took to calling it in the wake of his draft.
“It definitely is unfair,” said Edler. “It was the third league in Sweden but, to be honest with you, the people that play in that league, they probably work harder than everyone else because they practice the same but they also have to work on the side. It’s a grind.
“It was crazy because I went to school back then, but the other guys were all working. Some were working from seven to four and then they came to practice and on bus rides to away games.”
Only two teams even knew about Edler: the Canucks and the Detroit Red Wings, whose European super-scout, Håkan Andersson, had initially discovered him.
"Those two were the only people that knew about me," said Edler a couple of years ago. "My agent just told me that there's great interest from Vancouver and Detroit and I think they even want to draft you the first day, so I went to the draft. I didn’t really know when I was gonna get picked."
When the Canucks traded up to get ahead of the Red Wings in the draft order, Edler still didn't fully understand how badly they wanted him, describing himself as "clueless."
It definitely wasn't a clueless pick. The selection proved to be a brilliant one and helped cement Gradin's reputation as a scout with the Canucks. Edler didn't just turn out to be an NHL defenceman but the best defenceman in franchise history — at least, until Quinn Hughes came along.
Edler holds the franchise record for most games played, most goals, most assists, and most points by a Canucks defenceman, but Hughes is quickly catching up to a few of those records. Edler finished his time with the Canucks with 99 goals, 310 assists, and 409 points in 925 games. Hughes has 43 goals, 290 assists, and 333 points in 365 games and should pass Edler in assists and will likely pass him in points this season.
Edler was the Canucks' number-one defenceman for some of the best seasons in franchise history, helping them win back-to-back Presidents' Trophies and get to the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. He played a particularly crucial role in the careers of Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who considered Edler, rather than any of their linemates, to be the unofficial "third Sedin."
"He’s a heart and soul guy and he shows up every game and he does the little things all the time,” said Henrik after the final home game of their career. “He’s been our best defenceman every year. There’s no question about it.”
Edler played in a few more seasons with the Canucks after the Sedins retired, then signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Kings in 2021, finishing his career with two seasons in L.A.
The Canucks great won't retire as a King, however; he'll retire as a Canuck and it likely won't be long before he's added to the Canucks' Ring of Honour inside Rogers Arena.
