Daniel Alfredsson

NHLPA Member 1995-2014

1995-96 Calder Memorial Trophy winner

2011-12 King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner

2012-13 Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award winner

Ottawa Senators captain 1999-2013

Ottawa Senators franchise leader in goals (426), assists (682), and points (1,108)

The year was 2003, the host was Brett Lindros, and the player was Daniel Alfredsson.

In this Be A Player episode, Alfredsson talks about how he got into hockey as a five-year-old through his father’s influence, his first World Championship in 1995 (a silver medal won by besting Canada), and his foray into the NHL.

The highlight? Alfredsson, a known sharp-shooter on the ice, has a passion for hitting his mark away from the rink as well. He heads to a local Kanata shooting range to go one-on-one with Lindros to give the host his first lesson with a firearm.

Then and now

Alfredsson came to the Ottawa Senators as a 23-year-old Swede and retired after 18 seasons of being embraced by the Canadian capital’s franchise as one of their own – and shortly thereafter even became a full-fledged Canadian on paper.

He spent 13 seasons of his NHL career with the ‘C’ on his chest for the Senators, and to this day, ‘Alfie’ retains prestigious scoring records for the club as the Senators’ all-time leader in goals (426), assists (682), and points (1,108).

At the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, Alfredsson, alongside 100 other new Canadians, were made citizens in a special swearing-in ceremony. It was a big year for the Gothenburg, Sweden native who, amid having his jersey retired by the team Dec. 29, had a scholarship fund established in his name by the Ottawa Senators, their club foundation, Bell Let’s Talk, and Carleton University. The Daniel Alfredsson Scholarship in Mental Health is awarded annually to outstanding undergraduate students in the Neuroscience and Mental Health Program.

Alfredsson, who holds mental health awareness dear to his heart, was honoured by the gesture.

“This is something very personal to me and a cause that i have been passionate about for a long time,” Alfredsson said through a statement released by the Ottawa Senators at the time of the announcement. “…To establish a scholarship in my name that will assist the next generation of leaders in this field is a great honour to me.”

After a brief stint as a serving as a senior advisor to hockey operations of the Ottawa Senators, Alfredsson stepped away from hockey to spend more time with his family, which includes four young sons who also play hockey. He stepped back into the limelight recently to serve as an ambassador at the at the recent 2017 SAP NHL Global Series, held at Ericsson Globe in Sweden.
 

Full Be A Player: Rewind series here