The uncertainty over Daniel Alfredsson’s playing status has dogged him since training camp when he experienced a setback that kept him off the ice.
Without a contract in place, Alfredsson and the Red Wings agreed that it would be in both parties’ best interests if Alfredsson continued to rest and recuperate. Having already missed chunks of 2013-14 season to the same injury, the importance of ensuring that when his back could recuperate and and avoid plaguing Alfie throughout the season took precedent.
Despite Alfredsson’s obvious desires to play, it sounds like his health isn’t cooperating and after a few weeks of speculation that he was nearing a deadline to determine his career’s fate, it sounds like we’re pretty close to an official announcement that could come as early as next week.
1) Little more on Daniel Alfredsson: hearing he would like retirement announcement to happen as soon as Monday when Senators are in DET…
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 21, 2014
2) But there is possibility of a larger send-off in Ottawa. After all, it is fitting that’s where on-ice portion of his career ends. (END) — Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 21, 2014
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Detroit’s general manager Ken Holland appeared on TSN 1050 today to address the Alfredsson rumours.
“Well, I haven’t heard anything officially. I have talked earlier this week with Alfie’s agent, JP Barry, and obviously we’re looking at December 1st here on the calendar pretty soon. So I just wanted to know what was going on and JP said ‘It wasn’t looking great,’ and really we’re just sort of waiting for official word. But, certainly I guess, my thought process would be based upon the calendar — late November — in talking to JP Barry earlier this week that we weren’t talking about Alfie coming back and maybe taking the next step. Certainly I’ve heard lots of rumours in the last few hours. I don’t want to be making an announcement for somebody else, but I’m going to wait to hear officially. Certainly it doesn’t look good at this time.”
Holy shit, this could really be happening.
Even if Alfredsson’s legacy in Ottawa didn’t end the way that anyone would have envisioned two years ago, at least for me, it’s somewhat surreal to think we’re just days away from the greatest Ottawa Senator to play in the NHL hanging them up for good.
There are always going to be those Senators fans out there who will have a hard time forgiving Alfredsson or the Senators for the way that he left the organization in the summer of 2013, but I don’t have much time for their bleating. In the realm of professional sports where ego and money drives everything, everyone wanted Alfie to be the exception to the rule – the rare player who could put together a Hall of Fame resume and remain with one team for his entire career. Whether the organization (or an email) ultimately pushed him away or not, Alfie joined the ranks of many other talented athletes who’ve gone on to play for multiple organizations.
The healing process began last season when Alfredsson made his first appearance at the Canadian Tire Centre wearing the winged wheel and as Elliotte Friedman mentioned, the next step in the healing process can come when Senators play the Red Wings in Detroit on Monday, November 24th. The fact that Alfredsson would even wait for the Senators to come to town or participate in an even “larger send-off in Ottawa” tells you all that you really need to know about where the relationship is headed.
It’s headed back on the right track and it’s a foregone conclusion that the Senators will retire Daniel Alfredsson’s number 11.
Assuming that this is the end, Alfredsson’s career will have spanned 18 NHL seasons and 1,246 games. He will finish his career with 444 goals and 1,157 points. From the start of the 1995-96 season when Alfredsson made his NHL debut to now, only Jaromir Jagr (1,378), Teemu Selanne (1,223), Joe Thornton (1,214) and Jarome Iginla (1,177) have registered more points. For what it’s worth, he currently sits with the 51st highest point total in NHL history between Bobby Hull and Michel Goulet which is pretty significant considering he spent the bulk of his career playing in the dead puck era and away from the team’s offensive center in Alexei Yashin.
Throw in some hardware like his 2005-06 Calder Trophy, his 2006 Olympic gold medal and his 2014 silver medal, his 2011-12 King Clancy Memorial Trophy, the 2013 Mark Messier Leadership Award and I really think he stands a very good chance of being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Let the healing continue…
Other News and Notes:
– The Dallas Stars have re-upped Jason Spezza to the tune of a four-year contract carrying an average annual worth $7.5 million. I suppose it’s possible that this kind of figure was necessary to keep Spezza from testing the free agent market this summer, but I’m somewhat surprised that a player at his age with his health problems was able to land this kind of term and figure.
– The Maple Leafs have irked their fans and media by not doing their post-game stick salute to their fans following last night’s victory. The timing of their decision, in the wake of Tuesday night’s blowout loss to Nashville in which another fan tossed their jersey on the ice, couldn’t be worse. At the same time, it’s a stick salute and there are bigger things to worry about in Toronto that go beyond token signs of appreciation. That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the Schadenfreude however.
– After missing last night’s game with an undisclosed injury, Curtis Lazar was practicing today.
– In case you missed last night’s exceptional interview with Jonathan Pitre by TSN’s Brent Wallace, you can watch it here. Donations for Jonathan Pitre can be made by following this link to debracanada.org.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
