Alfredsson ‘emotional’ seeing Senators again as Maple Leafs associate coach

TORONTO -- Daniel Alfredsson was the No. 1 villain here during the glory days of the Battle of Ontario between his Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs more than two decades ago.

That’s why it’s surreal to see him these days as a Maple Leafs associate coach in what is the ultimate example of foe becoming friend.

Alfredsson, the Hall of Fame forward, spent 17 seasons with the Senators and was the first player to have his number (No. 11) retired by the franchise. During that time, his run-ins with Toronto are a part of hockey folklore in these parts, especially his feud with Darcy Tucker.

He’s officially switched sides, but have the two one-time combatants made amends?

"We kissed and made up," Alfredsson said after the morning skate at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday before the Maple Leafs hosted the Senators (7 p.m. ET; SNO, SNP), busting into laughter. “Ran into quite a few of (the former Maple Leafs) at the Leafs alumni golf tournament. Darcy played in the group in front of me."

Did he hit into him?

"He was too far ahead," Alfredsson joked.

Alfredsson was the center of attention here Saturday morning, and rightly so. It’s the first time Toronto is facing Ottawa in the regular season since he joined Jim Hiller’s coaching staff in July.

“I wish them the best,” the 53-year-old said. “And wish us a bit better.”

During his playing career, the Maple Leafs and Senators clashed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs four times from 2000-2004, with Toronto winning each time. That didn’t stop Alfredsson from leaving his mark in those matchups, never more so than Game 5 of the second round in 2002, when he rammed Tucker into the boards in the final minute, then scored the winning goal seconds later.

Two years later, he again drew the wrath of Maple Leafs fans when he mocked then-Toronto captain Mats Sundin by pretending to chuck his stick into the stands of this very building. The gesture was in reference to the previous game in which a frustrated Sundin had thrown his stick into the stands, earning a suspension from the NHL.

Sundin and Alfredsson have long made up since then.

They were teammates with Team Sweden when it won the gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics, considered by many to be the greatest hockey achievement in that country’s history. A decade later, they teamed up with another Hall of Famer, defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, to form the three-headed management group for Sweden at the World Cup of Hockey 2016.

With Sundin joining the Maple Leafs as a senior adviser in May, management was aware that Alfredsson’s contract as an assistant with the Senators was up on June 30. The Ottawa icon was looking for a change that offered more responsibility, and the Maple Leafs swooped in to provide just that.

What kind of public welcome would Alfredsson receive in what had been hostile territory? He quickly found out when Toronto fans gave him a rousing ovation prior to its season opener, a 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.

“It felt great,” Alfredsson said. “Obviously, Opening Night in the NHL is a big deal, and you know, obviously excited to get started on the season. (Training) camp came fast and furious this year, short camp and very intense for players and coaches and staff. So, it was nice once we finally started playing games.”

Alfredsson finally moved into new digs in Toronto three days ago. His wife, Bibi, and son William, the youngest of his four sons, joined him Friday.

In the process, Alfredsson admits he’s been regularly recognized throughout the community.

“I thought I would be more incognito in the city, but they still remember my face, some of them," he said. “So, I love it. I do. They’re great.

“I’m sure it's going to be ups and downs for everybody in the season, but I think it's important to be out and about. Love the city so far. It's been a hectic first month here, but I look forward to what's ahead.”

He said the transition has been smoother than he initially thought.

“At first, I wasn't sure. Can I do this?” Alfredsson said of joining the Maple Leafs. “But as we talked and had a few more conversations, you know, obviously talked to Jim.

“If I want to be a coach, you’ve got to experience different situations and different scenarios, different systems, and that's kind of where it went in my head. How can I evolve and get better as a coach if this is the route I'm going down?”

Hiller likes what he’s seen so far from Alfredsson, whose duties include running the power play.

"He has the financial freedom not to have to do that,” Hiller said of Alfredsson’s zeal for coaching. “So, it's a personal choice, and he's shown a commitment to that.

"That was really important to me too. I see a guy who's just fully committed, who didn't need to be, and for many reasons he just loves the game that much.”

Through it all, Alfredsson still has a connection with the Senators and always will. As such, he shared fist-pumps with veterans like Thomas Chabot and Claude Giroux as they exited the ice after Ottawa’s morning skate Saturday.

“I enjoyed working with ‘Alfie’ for two years,” Senators coach Travis Green said. “He’s a good friend and I wish him nothing but the best personally. Obviously from a team standpoint, I don’t …

“But he’s a good coach, and he’ll do well.”

Alfredsson and the Maple Leafs don’t visit Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa until Jan. 20. When Alfredsson walks behind the visitor’s bench that night, he’ll look up and see his number hanging from the rafters, an acknowledgement as the Senators’  all-time leading scorer with 1,108 points (426 goals, 682 assists) in 1,178 games.

“It’ll be emotional,” he said.

Just like Saturday.