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11 Great Moments in Daniel Alfredsson’s Hall of Fame Career

Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images

With the Ottawa Senators celebrating their 30th anniversary, no player better represents the club’s first three decades than Daniel Alfredsson.

Alfie’s induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame tonight (November 14th) is a sweet distraction for a fan base that’s been starving for good news and better days.

Despite another sluggish start for the current team, Ottawa fans do have a lot to celebrate. They have an improving, entertaining, young team to watch. There appears to be deep-pocketed new ownership on the way. And they have a downtown rink that’s back on track.

But tonight is a celebration of the past and Daniel Alfredsson – the greatest player in franchise history – is finally getting the Hall of Fame love he deserves.

On this Beautiful Day, Faces looks back on Alfie’s outstanding career and 11 of his greatest moments.

Daniel Alfredsson’s Hit on Darcy Tucker in 2002 NHL Playoffs

If you ask the average Sens fan about their favourite moment in Senators’ history, Alfredsson’s perfect hit on the insufferable Darcy Tucker in the 2002 playoffs would be right up there. Alfie immediately followed up his super clean, text book hit with the game winning goal.

Winning OT Goal in 2007 to Win Ottawa’s Only Conference Title

Technically, it wasn’t the prettiest of goals but to Sens fans, Alfie’s 2007 overtime game winner to give the Sens their only Conference title still remains an absolute Rembrandt.

Alfredsson Drops Puck in 2022-23 Home Opener to Usher in New Senators Era

It was just a ceremonial puck drop, but Alfredsson coming out to help christen the new season seemed to mark the dawning of a new era for the franchise – one where things were being done professionally again. The days of Alfie feeling alienated (not to mention the fans) were finally over.

Alfie’s #11 Jersey Retirement Night

It was never in doubt that Alfredsson would be the first modern day Senator to have his jersey retired by the club.

Alfredsson Scores a Club Record 7 Points

It was just one of those nights where everything went in. In January of 2008 in Tampa Bay, Alfie scored seven points, which is still a record to this day.

Alfredsson Mocks Mats Sundin’s Stick Throw

In 2004, after a game against Nashville, Toronto’s Mats Sundin was suspended for one game for throwing his broken stick into the crowd. It was definitely a controversial suspension. The next time Alfie was in Toronto, he broke his stick and then jokingly mocked the Sundin incident, pretending to throw his own broken stick into the crowd. With the score at the time 7-1 for Ottawa, it definitely wasn’t appreciated by the Leaf bench or their fans.

First NHL Shootout Goal in NHL History

After the cancelled season of 2004-05, the NHL decided to spice things up in its return, eliminating ties in overtime and settling games with penalty shots. The Sens and Leafs were the first to need the shootout. Alfie will always be known as the man who took the first shot and scored the first goal.

1998 Game 4 Hat Trick as Sens Win First Ever Playoff Series

In the 1998 Playoffs, the 8th seeded Senators shocked the top-seeded New Jersey Devils in round one. Alfie’s hat trick in Game 4 gave the Sens a 3-1 series lead they would not relinquish.

Alfie’s Last Minute, Shorthanded, Playoff Game-Tying Goal vs Pittsburgh May 2013

In the 2013 Playoffs, the Sens lost the first two road games of their series with Pittsburgh and trailed Game 3 in Ottawa 1-0. With 90 seconds left, Erik Karlsson took a slashing penalty, leaving the Sens shorthanded for the rest of regulation time. That didn’t stop Alfie.

Alfie’s 2014 Homecoming to Retire as a Senator

In one of their greatest failings as an organization, the Sens couldn’t (wouldn’t?) re-sign Alfredsson as a 2013 free agent. So he signed a contract in Detroit, where he’d play his final NHL season. While relations with the team remained cool, Alfie returned to the orgnization one year later, even putting the gear on for warmup, to retire and say goodbye to the fans as an Ottawa Senator.

Alfredsson’s 2022 Hockey Hall of Fame Induction

The resume speaks for itself:

  • The face of the franchise: best player in Ottawa Senators’ history
  • Franchise records for career goals, assists and points
  • NHL career stats: 1246 games played, 444 goals, 1157 points (54th all-time)
  • Senators’ captain from 1999-2013
  • 14 international tournament appearances for Team Sweden
  • 5 Olympic appearances: gold and silver medalist
By Steve Warne
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