Centre Henrik Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks was named the Sporting News’2010 NHL player of the year Thursday.

Voting for the award was conducted by a panel of 363 league players, coaches and executives.

Sedin garnered 108 first-place votes to outdistance Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, who was second with 86. Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby finished third with 72.

Sedin led the NHL in scoring this season with a career-high 112 points. He also had 18 points—including 10 goals—in the 18 games identical twin brother Daniel missed with a broken foot.

“Some guys thought it was the two of them or nothing,”said fellow Swede Niklas Kronwall, a defenceman with the Detroit Red Wings.“He really proved everyone wrong.”