Ottawa Senators to retire Daniel Alfredsson's jersey number
The Ottawa Senators announced that longtime captain Daniel Alfredsson will have his No. 11 retired at a Dec. 29 ceremony before the team’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. Alfredsson will be the first player from the current incarnation of the team to have his number retired.
Alfredsson played with the Senators from 1995-96 through 2012-13 and holds the team record for goals (426), assists (682) and points (1,108). He signed with the Red Wings before the 2013-14 season and played one season there where he had 49 points in 68 games.
A back injury eventually led to Alfredsson’s retirement in the 2014-15 season at the age of 41.
On Dec. 4, 2014, the Senators celebrated Alfredsson’s retirement by signing him to a one-day contract. He then took an emotional victory lap around the Canadian Tire Centre.
Frank Finnigan’s No. 8 is currently the only Sens’ retired jersey. He played in the 1920s and 1930s with the earlier Senators franchise.
“I think it’s really hard to understand the magnitude of this. I don’t think I understood it either. I had an unbelievable night here on Dec. 4, 2014 for my retirement night. It was extremely emotional and a memory for a lifetime, but when you get individual acknowledgements like this, it’s still ‘do I deserve this? Is this the right thing for me?’” the 43-year-old Alfredsson said at a news conference Tuesday. “I know I tried my best. I worked really hard, but there are so many things that go into it as well. I really want to thank everybody that has been a big part of it from staff in the locker room to staff in the offices and everybody else. So on behalf of everybody I accept this with great gratitude and humbleness.”
Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said the decision to retire Alfredsson’s jersey came from the work of a committee that was formed to try to figure out how to celebrate the team’s past. This version of the Senators franchise will reach their 25th anniversary in 2017.
“As our franchise continues to grow at so many different levels, the time has come for us to bring some formality to how we honor our great players. Just over a year ago, July, 2015, we invited a group of individuals from the community, from our media family and from our hockey organization to become part of a player honoring committee,” Melnyk said. “The honoring committee was established to assist to determine who and how to honor the past, current and future players who will become an indelible mark on our fans and our community.”
Choosing Alfredsson as the first Senator to be honored was an obvious pick. He also holds Senators records for playoff games and points in the postseason. Alfredsson was the captain of the team that pushed Ottawa to the 2007 Stanley Cup Final.
“I’ve been really fortunate to coach a lot of great players, Hall of Famers over my career, and I can tell you that there’s none better than Daniel Alfredsson,” said Alfredsson’s former coach and general manager Bryan Murray. “Work ethic, character, the way he played the game – he played right and he led the right way with many of the young players.”
In Sept. 2015, Alfredsson took a job with the team as senior advisor of hockey operations. The Senators extended his contract in June and Alfredsson said he had moved back to Ottawa from his native Sweden with his family so he can further dive into that role.
“To have this relationship with the Senators and the city of Ottawa for the rest of our lives now, it’s a great feeling,” Alfredsson said. “This is kind of the icing on the cake, to have this happen in December as well.”
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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper
