Daniel Sedin: “I Would Do Anything for a Stanley Cup”

Petti Fong Is playing in the Olympics different from in the NHL?

Daniel Sedin In the NHL, it’s 82 games and you try to take it game by game. But in the Olympics, it’s a short tournament. It’s heavy and intense.

PF Would you trade a second gold medal for a Stanley Cup?

DS To me, a Stanley Cup is bigger than the Olympics. I would do anything for a Stanley Cup.

PF Do you ever use the knowledge you have as a Canuck to your advantage while on Team Sweden?

DS I don’t think so.

PF What about the reverse, to get a Stanley Cup?

DS I just said that I would do anything, so maybe I would use that knowledge.

PF Do you feel any conflict about being Swedish and playing for a Canadian team?

DS The longer we play here and the longer we stay here, the tougher it gets to go back. Our kids are growing up here; they have their friends here. But I still think we’ll go back when we’re done.

PF What Canadian-ness will you bring back to Sweden?

DS I like a lot of things about both countries. When we’re here we’re taking things from Canada, and when we go back we’ll bring that with us. We will have to adapt to the Swedish lifestyle.

PF Like?

DS We’re from a smaller city, so we’re going to have to adjust to that — not as many restaurants, not as many things to do.

PF When was the last time you and your brother had a fight?

DS We never fight. We’ve always been best friends.

PF What? I have siblings and we fight all the time. We don’t think a holiday get-together is complete until someone cries and says, “I wish you had never been born.”

DS That’s kind of weird. We’re the polar opposite. We have two older brothers and we’re really close.

PF In your contract negotiations do you ever ask for something you know you won’t get?

DS Like what?

PF Candy flown in from Sweden, honorary captaincy for your racehorses — something outrageous and weird to catch them off-guard.

DS No. All we wanted was a fair deal and to stay in Vancouver. That was all we asked for. We’re not really weird people.