Alfredsson clan on hand for ceremony

Daniel Alfredsson has long maintained he never imagined his NHL career would last as long as it did.

His family thought he’d ultimately be settling down in Sweden, too.

“When he was drafted, we didn’t have an idea what it meant,” says Henric Alfredsson, Daniel’s younger brother by seven years. “Back then, the NHL wasn’t covered on TV in Sweden. There was no Internet, the newspapers in Sweden weren’t writing articles about the NHL or anything like that either.

“I remember hearing he was expected to go over there, go to training camp then we’ll see him in six weeks or something like that when training camp was over and he didn’t make the team, then he’d come home and play in Frolunda. Obviously that changed. He made an impact in training camp, got a spot on the team and just kind of catapulted from there. He went from being just kind of a player on the team to getting a bigger role.”

What he became, in fact, was a self-built Ottawa icon.

“His work ethic got him to where he is,” says Henric. “He was never that (Mats) Sundin, or (Peter) Forsberg or the Sedin brothers, where they were expected to come in and have an impact on their team right away. Daniel was a player on the national team in Sweden, which was obviously the dream growing up when we were kids, but to come

I think he was determined that… he was never going to be outworked, was never going to lose his spot because of his work ethic.

over here and have an impact on an NHL team, there was nobody that expected him to have that,

“Having said that, I think he was determined that whatever he did, he was never going to be outworked, he was never going to lose his spot because of his work ethic, That’s what I think Daniel just thrived on and always has, whatever he took upon himself.”

Henric Alfredsson ultimately followed his brother to North America and played one 22-goal season with the 67’s before stepping away from competitive hockey. He remained in Ottawa, however, and is now married and running his own business as a general contractor, building homes.

Daniel’s home, meanwhile, was a beehive of activity over Christmas. Visiting from Sweden were his parents, his sister and her husband and her kids, his wife Bibbi’s parents and her brother. They are all staying — and being joined by approximately 70 friends from out of town — for the raising to the rafters of Senators jersey No. 11 before Thursday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings.

‘“It is a big deal,” says Henric. “But I think it’s hard for us to put it into perspective, on how big of a deal it is. I don’t know what you can compare it to.”