Daniel Alfredsson Daniel Alfredsson ( born 11 December 1972 ) is a Swedish - Canadian retired professional ice hockey player that spent 18 seasons in the National Hockey League , 17 with the Ottawa Senators and played his final year with the Detroit Red Wings . Alfredsson was the longtime captain of the Ottawa Senators ; serving from 1999 to 2013 . He is considered a leader by example , and had been compared to former Detroit Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman in his value during his tenure as captain of the Ottawa Senators . With the Senators , Alfredsson usually played on the first line , which was formerly nicknamed the ' CASH ' or ' Pizza ' line with centre Jason Spezza and left winger Dany Heatley , before Heatley ' s trade to the San Jose Sharks . He had traditionally been the fourth forward on the ice in the role of pointman on Ottawa ' s powerplay . He was one of the league ' s top two - way players , and he holds the Senators ' franchise records for goals ( 426 ) , assists ( 682 ) , and points ( 1108 ) , with 1 , 178 games played . He had played for Sweden internationally fourteen times , including the 2006 gold medal and 2014 silver medal winning Olympic teams . He was the 75th player to reach 1 , 000 career points in the NHL , scoring three goals in a win over the Buffalo Sabres on 22 October 2010 . Alfredsson holds an Honorary Degree from Carleton University . Playing career . Drafted 133rd overall in the sixth round in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft , Alfredsson was a serendipitous pick by the Senators . He had been overlooked by many NHL scouts , but one man in Ottawa ' s front office , John Ferguson , saw the potential and pushed management for his selection . Though largely unheralded entering his first NHL training camp , he would go on to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year in his first NHL season in 1995 – 96 and was the Senators ' representative at the NHL All - Star Game . In 1996 – 97 , he improved on his rookie totals and played in the All - Star Game again . He finished second in team scoring , contributing to the Senators ' first modern playoff qualification . Alfredsson missed the beginning of the 1997 – 98 season due to a contract dispute . He signed a new deal on 12 October 1997 , worth $ 14 million over four years . After missing the first five games of the season , he was greeted by a standing ovation in his first game back in Ottawa . Alfredsson would later be named the Senators ' representative at the All - Star Game for the third consecutive season . During that season , Alfredsson would play in only 55 games , due to the earlier contract dispute and a late season ankle injury . The Senators qualified for the playoffs again and defeated the New Jersey Devils , but lost to the surging Washington Capitals in the second round . Alfredsson would score seven goals in 11 playoff games in 1998 . In 1998 – 99 , Alfredsson missed 24 games due to an injury , and was limited to only 11 goals . The club once again qualified for the playoffs , and Alfredsson hoped to have a good postseason , but was limited to one goal and three points in a sweep at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres . The next season , he was named captain of the Senators after Alexei Yashin was stripped of the captaincy for refusing to honor his contract . After two somewhat disappointing seasons , Alfredsson ' s scoring totals improved , with 21 goals and 59 points in 57 games . In the playoffs , the Senators met the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals . The Senators would lose the inaugural " Battle of Ontario " , although Alfredsson contributed three goals in the six - game series . In 2000 – 01 , Yashin returned to the Ottawa lineup but the team captaincy remained with Alfredsson , who would score 24 goals and 70 points in 68 games . The Senators again met the Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs , and Alfredsson was limited to one goal in a four - game series sweep by Toronto . In 2001 – 02 , Alfredsson set a personal best with 37 goals and 71 points in 78 games . In the playoffs , the Senators once again met the now arch - rival Maple Leafs in the second round , where they lost in seven games . Alfredsson led the team in playoff scoring with seven goals and 13 points in 12 games . Alfredsson signed a two - year contract prior to the 2002 – 03 season . He increased his scoring totals , finishing with 27 goals and 78 points . The club won the President ' s Trophy that season , despite the organization filing for bankruptcy protection , and qualified for the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils . Alfredsson scored four goals and eight points in 18 games . In 2003 – 04 , Alfredsson finished the season with 32 goals and 80 points in 78 games . The club lost its first - round playoff to Toronto , and Alfredsson was limited to one goal and three points in the seven - game series . Mid - season , Alfredsson signed a five year contract extension with the Ottawa Senators . Like many NHL players , Alfredsson played for a European team during the 2004 – 05 NHL lockout . He returned to Sweden to play for Frölunda HC , the team he had played for prior to beginning his NHL career . He played on an all - NHL line with P . J . Axelsson and Samuel Påhlsson , helping the club win the Swedish Championship . Alfredsson was a major contributor during the playoffs , scoring 12 goals and 18 points in 14 games . On 5 October 2005 , opening night for the 2005 – 06 NHL season , the Senators played the Maple Leafs , with the newly acquired Dany Heatley playing on the top line with Jason Spezza and Brandon Bochenski . The Senators were down by a goal with five minutes remaining in the third period , when Alfredsson , replacing Bochenski on the top line , scored the tying goal . This line combination would remain intact , and became known as the ' CASH line ' . Later in the same game , Heatley and Alfredsson scored the first goals in a regular season NHL shootout when they scored against Leafs goalie Ed Belfour for a 3 – 2 victory . With Alfredsson scoring in the shootout , he became the first captain in the NHL history to do so . Alfredsson and Heatley ' s sticks were subsequently sent to the Hockey Hall of Fame . Alfredsson capped off the 2005 – 06 regular season with a career high 103 points ( 43 goals and 60 assists ) tied for first on the Senators along with Heatley . Perhaps the best game of his NHL career took place on 3 November 2005 against the longtime rival Buffalo Sabres , in which he scored a then career - high four goals and six points . After a disappointing 2006 playoffs and poor play to start the season , Alfredsson became the subject of trade rumors from the beginning of the 2006 – 07 season . He improved his game , attributing the reversal in part to a change in skates , and had a six - game scoring streak soon after . On Saturday , 23 December 2006 , against the Philadelphia Flyers , he notched his 600th career point , scoring two goals and adding an assist . In the 2007 playoffs , Alfredsson was the Senators ' leading scorer with 14 goals and 22 points in 20 games . His leadership and strong play helped the Senators as they advanced past the Pittsburgh Penguins , the New Jersey Devils , and the Buffalo Sabres advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in modern franchise history . He became the first European - born - and - raised captain to lead his team to the finals . When presented with the Prince of Wales Trophy , he posed while touching the trophy , which many hockey players consider a form of bad luck . Alfredsson was arguably Ottawa ' s best player in the Stanley Cup Finals , which the Senators ultimately lost to the Anaheim Ducks in a five game series . In a controversial incident in game four , an Alfredsson slap shot hit Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer at the end of the second period , leading to unfounded speculation that Alfredsson intended to injure Niedermayer . Alfredsson dismissed the notion , saying that he had glanced up at the clock to see if he had time to move in for a better shot , and then quickly fired in the heat of an extremely important game . Along with the rest of the Senators , Alfredsson ' s 2007 – 08 season was marked by highs and lows . On 24 January 2008 , he scored three goals and four assists in an 8 – 4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning . , setting the Senators ' record for most points in one game . It vaulted him into the NHL scoring lead at the All - Star break . He was named NHL ' Player of the Week ' and its ' First Star ' . Alfredsson and his linemates , Heatley and Spezza , were named to the Eastern Conference All - Star game roster , although Heatley would not play due to injury . Injuries reduced Alfredsson ' s playing time and effectiveness in the latter half of the season . First , Alfredsson suffered a hip pointer injury , and on 3 April 2008 , Mark Bell of the Maple Leafs hit him with a shoulder that left Alfredsson on the ice , unable to get up for several minutes . He missed the final game of the regular season and the beginning of the playoffs . He had played in every modern Senators playoff game up to that point . On 14 April 2008 , with the Senators trailing 2 – 0 in their playoff series to the Pittsburgh Penguins , Alfredsson made his return in game three of the series , four weeks earlier than initially expected . He was welcomed with a lengthy standing ovation at Scotiabank Place . However , the Senators gave up four unanswered goals ( three in the third period ) to lose the game 4 – 1 . The Senators lost game four 3 – 1 . Afterwards , in an interview on CBC , he admitted he had been playing with a ruptured medial collateral ligament . In October 2008 , Alfredsson underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to remove a bone chip and returned less than a week later . On 30 October 2008 , Alfredsson agreed to a four - year contract extension with Ottawa worth $ 21 . 6 million . The contract , intended to allow Alfredsson to finish his playing career with the Senators , included a no - movement clause . The 2008 – 09 season was a disappointing one for both Alfredsson and the Senators . The team failed the to make the playoffs , and Alfredsson registered only 24 goals and 74 points in 79 games . On 8 July 2009 , Alfredsson became the longest serving active captain in the NHL , as former Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu signed with the Anaheim Ducks and former Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic announced his retirement . The 2009 – 10 season saw his point total dip again , as he scored only 20 goals and had 71 points in 70 games . On 6 April , Alfredsson reached an important milestone , playing in his 1000th regular season game . Even though the Senators lost to Pittsburgh in the first round , Alfredsson still scored 2 goals and added 6 assists to lead the team in scoring ( tied with Matt Cullen ) . He later admitted he had been bothered by a sports hernia since February , which could explain his reduced effectiveness in the last weeks of the season and the playoffs . During the 2010 – 11 season , Alfredsson recorded his 1 , 000th career NHL point in a victory over the Buffalo Sabres on 22 October 2010 . At season ' s end , Alfredsson underwent back surgery and was released from hospital the same day . At a 14 June 2011 news conference introducing new Senators ' head coach Paul MacLean , Alfredsson stated that the surgery went well and that he was moving around fine . Alfredsson began the 2011 - 12 season healthy , but was diagnosed with a concussion for the first time in his career after receiving a blow to the head from New York Rangers forward Wojtek Wolski on 29 October 2011 . He returned on 11 November after missing five games , in a game against the Buffalo Sabres . On December 30 , 2011 , Alfredsson scored his 400th career goal , the game winner in overtime , versus the Calgary Flames . In the 2012 NHL All - Star Game , Alfredsson was captain of Team Alfredsson , scoring twice within one minute and 31 seconds in a 12 - 9 loss to " Team Chára " . In the first round of the 2012 NHL Playoffs , Alfredsson and the Senators were eliminated by the first - place New York Rangers in seven games . Speculation was rampant during early summer of 2012 that Alfredsson would announce his retirement , but on 31 July he confirmed that he would be returning for his 17th season with the Senators . The lockout shortened 2012 – 13 season was a successful one for Alfredsson and the Senators . The team made the playoffs despite losing several key players to injury for extended periods , and defeated the rival Montreal Canadiens in the first round . Alfredsson was third in team scoring during the regular season with 10 goals and 16 assists in 47 games , and he led the Senators in scoring through the playoffs with four goals and 10 points in 10 games . At season ' s end there was again speculation that Alfredsson might announce his retirement . On 28 June 2013 , GM Bryan Murray confirmed that he had been informed by agent J . P . Barry that Alfredsson " is committed to play next year for the Senators " . While Alfredsson negotiated a new contract with Ottawa , Boston Bruins ' GM Peter Chiarelli reached out to him in an attempt to gauge his interest in signing with Boston . Chiarelli attempted to convince Alfredsson that Boston could be a good destination for an older player looking to win a Stanley Cup prior to retirement . Detroit Red Wings ( 2013 – 2014 ) . The long - time Ottawa captain signed a one - year , $ 5 . 5 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings on 5 July 2013 . Alfredsson ' s Ottawa teammates were taken aback by the news . Alfredsson phoned Chris Phillips so he would not hear the news at the same time as everyone else ; Phillips said he was shocked . Marc Methot said many teammates were caught off guard . " We all were pretty adamant that he was going to return because he is grounded in this city ( Ottawa ) and so well - loved that everyone figured something would work out " , said Methot . Ex - Senators ' coach Jacques Martin , now a hockey analyst on TVA Sports , compared Alfredsson ' s departure to Ray Bourque ' s decision to move to the Colorado Avalanche to win a Stanley Cup . Alfredsson confirmed a day later that his decision to leave Ottawa was motivated by a desire to win a Stanley Cup prior to retirement . " I had not won a Stanley Cup and that ’ s a big priority for me , " Alfredsson said . He later explained that his departure from Ottawa was due to a contract impasse , though Senators ' general manager Bryan Murray had expected Alfredsson to remain in Ottawa , Alfredsson returned to Ottawa for the first time with the Red Wings on 1 December 2013 , and was greeted with a video tribute and loud cheers from the Canadian Tire Centre crowd . He also scored an empty net goal in the Red Wings victory . The 41 - year - old posted 18 goals and 49 points during his only season with the Detroit Red Wings during the 2013 - 14 season . Back problems kept Alfredsson from attending training camp and starting the 2014 - 15 season . On 27 November 2014 , Alfredsson announced to Swedish press that he had retired as a player . Return to Senators ( 2014 ) . On 4 December 2014 , Alfredsson signed a one - day contract to officially retire as a member of the Ottawa Senators . Alfredsson took part in the pre - game warm - ups , and took the ceremonial face - off as the Senators faced the New York Islanders . During Alfredsson ' s career with the Ottawa Senators , he played in 1 , 178 games , had 426 goals , 682 assists and 1 , 108 points , all franchise records . However , Chris Phillips broke Alfredsson ' s games - played record two months later . On December 29th 2016 , Alfredsson became the first player in modern Senators ' history to have his jersey number retired . After retiring as a player , Alfredsson joined the Senators as senior advisor of hockey operations International play . Alfredsson has Participated in 14 international tournaments for Sweden In the 2006 tournament , he set highs in goals ( 5 ) , assists ( 5 ) and points ( 10 ) and played on the second line with Mats Sundin and Henrik Zetterberg . After an injury to Peter Forsberg , Alfredsson took Forsberg ' s spot as the alternate captain , along with Captain Sundin and defenseman Nicklas Lidström . Alfredsson was named captain of Team Sweden for the first time at the 2012 IIHF World Championship . Personal life . Alfredsson married longtime girlfriend Birgitta ( née Backman ) on 31 July 2004 . They are the parents of four sons , Hugo , Loui , Fenix and William Erik . The family resides in Ottawa and Särö , Sweden . Alfredsson ' s parents are Hasse and Margareta Alfredsson . His younger brother Henric played with the Ottawa 67 ' s junior team as a 19 - year - old during their 1999 Memorial Cup - winning season . Henric decided to stay in Ottawa after his junior hockey career with the 67 ' s was complete , and now works for the Ottawa Police Service . On March 5 , 2015 , Alfredsson was presented with The Key to the City by Ottawa Deputy Mayor Bob Monette . Mayor Jim Watson was recuperating from a broken pelvis suffered in a snowmobiling accident and was unavailable . The Key to the City is the city ' s highest honour , reserved only for the people who make the greatest impact on Ottawa residents . The honour was in recognition not only of Alfredsson ' s accomplishments with the Senators , but also for his off - ice leadership and advocacy with the Ottawa Senators Foundation , the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health , and the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa . Alfredsson officially became a Canadian citizen at a special ceremony at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey on September 20 , 2016