Ottawa Senators to retire Daniel Alfredsson's No. 11

In a season that the team hopes will be full of celebrations, the Ottawa Senators have announced that they will honour their longtime former captain later this year by retiring his sweater number.

Daniel Alfredsson, who played 17 of his 18 NHL seasons with the Senators, and who captained the team from 1999 to 2013, will have his sweater number 11 hoisted to the Canadian Tire Centre rafters on Dec. 29 prior to their game against the Detroit Red Wings.

 "I'm extremely honoured and humbled," Alfredsson said Tuesday afternoon, during the announcement at the Canadian Tire Centre. 

Alfredsson was honoured once before by the Senators, in a moving retirement tribute in December 2014. 
He was drafted by the club in 1996 and went on to a career that should earn him serious consideration for the Hockey Hall of Fame. 

A former NHL rookie of the year and King Clancy Memorial award winner, Alfredsson was a six-time All-Star and the Senators' all time leader in goals, assists and points scored.

 On Tuesday, Alfredsson spoke about what a "great honour" it was to join the ranks of  hockey players like Borje Salming and Mats Sundin, Swedish NHL legends who have had their numbers retired by their respective clubs.

"I think it's hard to really understand the magnitude of this," Alfredsson said. "I don't really think I've understood the magnitude of it yet, either." 

Since his retirement two years ago, Alfredsson has worked in the Senators' front office. 

In June, he signed a one-year contract extension to serve as an advisor to the hockey operations department. 

1st modern-era Senator to have number retired

Alfredsson will be the first modern-era Ottawa Senators player to have their jersey retired by the club, said team owner Eugene Melnyk.

"Daniel is an iconic figure in the history of our franchise," Melnyk said in a news release. "Daniel has consistently demonstrated class and excellence throughout his NHL career so it is only fitting his jersey number be retired to hang alongside the No. 8 of legendary Frank Finnigan."

Finnigan, who played 10 seasons for the Ottawa Senators in the early 20th century and helped the club with the 1927 Stanley Cup over the Boston Bruins, also has his number hanging from the Canadian Tire Centre's rafters.

Alfredsson also confirmed Tuesday that his family had moved back to Ottawa from Sweden and were once again living here full-time.