Daniel Alfredsson set 'great example' for Senators

OTTAWA -- Daniel Alfredsson first wore No. 63.
It was the sort of number they gave to a rookie in training camp in 1995, one who was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the sixth round (No. 133) of the 1994 NHL Draft after being passed over in 1993.

After he surprisingly made the Senators that fall, Alfredsson was given a choice between No. 11 and No. 22 by the equipment staff. He chose 11 because he wore it as a kid playing soccer in Sweden.
Before the Senators play the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; RDSI, TSN5, FS-D, NHL.TV), No. 11 will be raised to the rafters in Canadian Tire Centre. Alfredsson's No. 11 is the second number to be retired by the Senators, joining Frank Finnigan's No. 8 (Finnigan played for the original Ottawa Senators from 1923-31 and 1932-34). He was selected for the honor by a volunteer committee composed of team executives, civic leaders and media representatives and his number was retired in 1992.
During Alfredsson's 16 seasons with the Senators (he spent his final season with the Detroit Red Wings in 2013-14) he became the face of the franchise. He was captain for 13 seasons and is the Senators' all-time leader in goals (426), assists (682) and points (1,108). He leads the Senators in Stanley Cup Playoff games (121), goals (51), assists (49) and points (100), and played in the NHL All-Star Game six times (1996-98, 2004, 2008, 2012). He returned to Ottawa on Dec. 4, 2014 to retire as a Senators player and was named Ottawa's senior adviser to hockey operations on Sept. 17, 2015.

Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki grew up in Ottawa as a Senators fan and idolized Alfredsson.
"It sets a great example for a lot of us guys coming up," Borowiecki said. "That's how a professional athlete should handle themselves. There shouldn't be any extraneous stuff that draws attention to yourself. There's no need to worry about a brand or anything like that. He was always the consummate leader, the consummate professional and somebody I definitely look up to."
Senators defenseman Dion Phaneuf faced Alfredsson as an opponent with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Battle of Ontario.
"The thing that stands out is how hard he played the game for a skilled guy," Phaneuf said. "He had an incredible skill set, but he was hard to play against and you knew he was going to compete for his space and he was going to battle for his space. When you played him hard, it seemed like he liked it and he liked that challenge.
"With his skill, he backed it up with a work ethic and I think that's why he had such a great career."
Alfredsson almost didn't get a chance to wear No. 11 in 1995.

"Alfie, we had to fight to keep [him] on the team," said Rick Bowness, the Senators' first coach from 1992 to November 1995, said. "It goes back to we didn't have the money. [Management] wanted to send him down because he was on a two-way contract. I think he only made like $250,000 his first year.
"But you could tell from rookie camp and into the main camp, he was the best player on the ice. Smartest player. Hardest worker. Competitive as hell. He was ready to play in the National Hockey League the first time you laid eyes on him. We fought to keep him and he wound up winning rookie of the year, which was great for Alfie."
Alfredsson, who had 26 goals and 35 assists that season, won the Calder Trophy despite a tumultuous season that featured two general managers (Randy Sexton and Pierre Gauthier) and three coaches: Bowness, Dave Allison (fired by Gauthier, who replaced Sexton in December) and Jacques Martin.
During a telephone conversation with his father, Hasse, in the midst of the upheaval in December, Alfredsson contemplated returning to Sweden but decided to stick it out. He went on to lead the Senators in scoring five times and helped them to the Stanley Cup Final in 2007, where Ottawa lost to the Anaheim Ducks in five games.

Alfredsson had an impact on Ottawa away from the rink, too. He champions The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre's "You Know Who I Am" campaign to remove the stigma associated with mental health issues.
"I'm extremely honored and humbled," Alfredsson said on Aug. 16, when it was announced his jersey would be retired. "I think it's hard to really understand the magnitude of it.
"It brings back a lot of memories. How did I get to this point? A lot of people have been involved and helped along the way. I'm thankful to them, especially today."
The ceremony, expected to start at 6:30 p.m. ET and last approximately 45 minutes, will be broadcast on TSN5.
"It will be emotional," Alfredsson said. "My retirement night was emotional. I'm not afraid to cry. If I do, I'm fine with it. It's cool."