The Ottawa Senators have hired Daniel Alfredsson for a role in the organization that doesn’t quite have a title yet.
While the official title hasn’t been assigned to his new role, Alfredsson will reportedly be working in a player development role, not quite as an assistant coach but certainly working with players and owners. In fact, it was new owner Michael Andlauer and president of hockey operations Steve Staios that played a big role in bringing Alfredsson back into the organization.
The former Sens captain had previously worked with the team as a senior advisor from 2015 to 2017, but he stepped away from the role to take a break from hockey. He did spend a few seasons coaching his sons Hugo and Loui Alfredsson on the B-league and AA Ottawa Sting teams, but otherwise he did not hold any positions.
Alfredsson’s time as an Ottawa Senator needs no introduction, as he’s the biggest face of the franchise's history. He spent 17 seasons with the club from 1995 to 2013 after they drafted him in the sixth round of the 1994 NHL Draft, and was captain for the final 13 seasons. He finished his Sens career with 426 goals, 682 assists and 1,108 points in 1,178 regular season games and 51 goals, 49 assists and 100 points in 121 career playoff games, with no one else in the franchise’s history finishing anywhere close to those marks.
His Sens career had a rocky ending, as a contract dispute with the team saw him depart for free agency and sign with the Detroit Red Wings. He finished the year with 18 goals, 31 assists and 49 points in 68 regular seasons and no points in three playoff games. He then signed a one-day contract with the Senators the following season and announced his retirement from hockey.
Alfredsson won a Calder trophy in 1996 as the best rookie that season, but otherwise he never got consideration for any of the major awards during his career. He did receive plenty of recognition for his leadership and work with the city of Ottawa, as he won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2011-12 and the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2012-13. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2022.
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