Daniel Alfredsson didn’t exactly sneak into Toronto unnoticed.
The Maple Leafs’ new associate coach - and longtime Ottawa Senators icon - made his first real round in blue and white last month at Toronto’s annual alumni golf tournament, his initial taste of life on the other side of the Battle of Ontario after years of being one of its defining figures. Even there, old grudges gave way to fresh handshakes, including one with former Leafs pest Darcy Tucker.
“We kissed and made up,” Alfredsson joked, referring to the infamous 2002 playoff hit on Tucker.
Now 53, Alfredsson said the decision to leave Ottawa for Toronto took real wrestling before he finally signed on to Jim Hiller’s staff over the summer. After 17 of his 18 NHL seasons in the nation’s capital and three more years as an assistant coach there, he knew the move would land hard with Senators fans.
“At first I wasn’t sure … can I do this?” Alfredsson said Saturday morning before Toronto hosted Ottawa at Scotiabank Arena.
“A lot of thoughts back and forth, and it wasn’t a quick decision. But at the end of the day, I thought this would be a great opportunity.”
He said the appeal was bigger than simply changing scenery. For Alfredsson, the job offered a chance to stretch himself.
“You gotta experience different situations and different scenarios,” Alfredsson said. “That’s where it went in my head, ‘How can I evolve and get better as a coach?'”
For Ottawa, the sight of Alfredsson in Maple Leafs colors was a jolt. He is the first modern-era Senators player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, a 133rd overall pick in the 1994 draft who became the face of the franchise.
His name still sits all over the Senators record book: 426 goals, 682 assists and 1,108 points, plus 1,178 games played, second only in team history. In the playoffs, he remains the standard for Ottawa with 51 goals, 49 assists, 100 points and 121 games.
That legacy is exactly why the move stung in Ottawa. But those who worked with him there spoke warmly about his time with the club.
“I enjoyed working with Alfie,” Senators head coach Travis Green said. “I wish nothing but the best for him personally.
From a team standpoint, I wouldn’t say the same thing, and they wouldn’t say that about us. But he’s a good coach and he’ll do well.”
“We really appreciated our time with him,” Senators captain Thomas Chabot added. “A blast to be around at the rink.”
In Toronto, Hiller sees a coach who brings both perspective and edge, especially with the power play. He pointed to Alfredsson’s path as a player - a star who wasn’t handed anything.
“He wasn’t one of those players that was a surefire, high draft pick,” Hiller said. “He came from underneath, so a tremendous work ethic and drive and understanding of the game.”
Hiller also said Alfredsson’s choice to coach after a long, accomplished playing career says plenty about his commitment.
“He set himself up financially,” Hiller said. “He certainly doesn’t have to jump into this coaching grind … I see a guy who’s just fully committed.”
That commitment now comes wrapped in Leafs blue, a sight that would have felt unthinkable through most of the Battle of Ontario era. From 2000 to 2004, Toronto knocked Ottawa out of the playoffs four times in five years, and Alfredsson was right in the middle of it all - captain of the Senators from 1999 through 2013 and one of the rivalry’s central villains from a Toronto point of view.
“Seeing him in blue is a lot better than red and gold,” Maple Leafs defenceman and Toronto native Darren Raddysh said.
Alfredsson also carried his share of memories from the old days. There was the Tucker hit, naturally, but also the playful taunting of Mats Sundin - now one of Alfredsson’s bosses in Toronto as senior executive adviser of hockey operations - after the Leafs captain was suspended in January 2004 for throwing a broken stick into the stands. Two nights later, with Ottawa ahead 7-1 and Sundin in street clothes, Alfredsson mocked the crowd by pretending to toss a broken stick over the glass.
Even with all that baggage, the reception in Toronto has been warmer than he may have expected.
“Wasn’t sure what to expect,” Alfredsson said of the welcome. “It felt great.”
He also knows what awaits when Toronto’s season eventually brings him back to Ottawa. Alfredsson spent his entire playing career there before a one-year stop with the Detroit Red Wings in 2013-14, and he called that return to Ottawa the harder emotional test.
“Knowing that locker room was my home for so long, a difficult, an emotional day,” he said. “Being back in Ottawa will bring back memories, for sure. I’m sure it will be emotional to some degree, but not the same.”
For now, he’s adjusting to a new city, a new bench and a new chapter.
“I love the energy,” he said. “I thought I would be more incognito in the city, but they still remember my face … and I love it.
“A hectic first month here, but I look forward to what’s ahead.”
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