Daniel Alfredsson joins rival Toronto Maple Leafs as associate coach
The Hall of Famer, who spent 17 seasons with the Ottawa Senators, is leaving his assistant role with the Senators to take a coaching position with the Maple Leafs.
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Daniel Alfredsson is leaving Ottawa for Toronto. The Hall of Famer, who served as an assistant coach for the Senators over the last three seasons, has joined Jim Hiller's coaching staff with the rival Toronto Maple Leafs as an associate coach.
Alfredsson was drafted 133rd overall by the Ottawa Senators in 1994 and became one of the league's greatest draft steals, winning the Calder Trophy in 1995–96. He spent 17 of his 18 NHL seasons with Ottawa before finishing his career with Detroit in 2013–14, collecting 1,157 points in 1,246 games.
Before his recent role with the Senators, Alfredsson served as an assistant coach for Sweden's national team, including at the 2020 Nations Face-Off, and took on advisory and developmental roles in Ottawa. He helped guide the Senators to a 44-27-11 record and a postseason appearance this past season.
The move reunites two iconic Swedes in Toronto: Alfredsson will work alongside team president Mats Sundin in the front office. Their history is complicated — the two were central to the fierce Senators-Maple Leafs rivalry in the early 2000s, including Alfredsson's controversial hit on Darcy Tucker in Game 5 of the 2002 playoff series. Alfredsson later mocked Sundin by tossing his stick into the crowd after Sundin had thrown his in frustration.
