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Canucks legends Daniel and Henrik Sedin dazzle in charity soccer match

VANCOUER, B.C. — Henrik Sedin has notched another assist, but this time it didn't come on the ice.

VANCOUER, B.C. — Henrik Sedin has notched another assist, but this time it didn't come on the ice.

The former Canucks captain and his twin brother, Daniel Sedin, took to the soccer field Saturday for a celebrity match hosted by the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The 37-year-old brothers dazzled the crowd with their quick feet and Henrik Sedin set up Once Upon a Time actor Colin O'Donoghue for a goal.

"A lot of the guys were tired out there, so we were able to get some passes," Henrik said after the match.

Asked if their performance on the pitch had inspired a possible move to professional soccer, the twins laughed.

"No, I don't think so," Daniel said.

The Sedins retired from professional hockey at the end of last season following 17 years with the Canucks.

Right winger Daniel Sedin is Vancouver's all-time leading scorer, putting up 393 goals and 648 assists over 1,306 games.

Henrik Sedin was the playmaker. The centre had 830 helpers and 240 goals in 1,330 games.

This summer, the twins spent some time in their native Sweden. They recently returned to Vancouver, where they've been spending time with family and doing things they weren't able to do while playing in the NHL.

But hockey isn't far from their minds.

The Canucks are in Whistler, B.C., for training camp this weekend and Henrik Sedin said the brothers talked Saturday how it feels a bit odd to not be with the team.

Still, he said they don't regret their decision to hang up their skates.

"It was time to move on. It was the right time to do it," Henrik Sedin said.

The Sedins have also made appearances at Rogers Arena, the Canucks home rink, in recent weeks to chat with their former teammates and have coffee.

Seeing familiar faces has been fun, but the pair don't plan to spend too much time with the squad.

"It's their team right now and we're happy to watch," Henrik said.

The Canucks finished the 2017-2018 season second-last in the Pacific Division with a 31-40-11 record.

But Daniel said he expects the team to do well this year because there's a solid crop of emerging athletes.

"They've got a lot of young guys," he said. "It's about becoming a team. And the young guys need to take some steps in the right direction, then the team will be right back at it again."

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press