Alfredsson's election to Hall of Fame 'a humbling honor'

One day soon, the Hockey Hall of Fame will knock on Daniel Alfredsson's door and ask him to rummage through his equipment bag, seeking donations for his display at the Toronto shrine.

They're going to be met by a bit of an old-school guy.
"My leather skates from back in the day, a wooden stick if I can find one," Alfredsson joked on Monday from his home in Sweden. "My Bauer Supreme 1000s, if I can find them."
Those vintage Bauer skates would nicely illustrate a career that spanned 18 seasons and saw him thrive during a great evolution in rules, style of play and equipment.
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Alfredsson will be part of the Hall of Fame's Class of 2022 that also includes fellow Sweden-born twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Roberto Luongo, and Riikka Sallinen, the first Finland-born women's player to be enshrined. The late Herb Carnegie was elected in the Builders category.
"It's such an honor, it's such a privilege to have been able to play this sport for a living," Alfredsson said. "Something I would have played for fun for my whole life without a question, (to) be able to make a living, be able to play in front of thousands of fans and also to be recognized in this way is truly humbling.
"You don't think about this when you play the game, it's not a goal of yours during your career. But when you have retired and you look back at it, it really means a lot to be included with all the other great players in this great sport."
Selected by Ottawa in the sixth round (No. 133) of the 1994 NHL Draft, Alfredsson arrived in the NHL the following season after having played five years of professional hockey in Sweden.
He would go on to win the Calder Trophy as the League's top rookie in 1995-96, when he had 61 points (26 goals, 35 assists) in 82 games, the start of a career that saw him become in many ways the face of his franchise.
Alfredsson spent 17 seasons, including 13 as captain, in Ottawa, where he remains a beloved figure for his playing career and work in the community. He is the Senators all-time leader in goals (426), assists (682) and points (1,108), and is second in games played (1,178).

Along with the Calder Trophy, Alfredsson also won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2011-12, which is awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in their community, and the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2012-13.
Although he played his final season with the Detroit Red Wings in 2013-14, getting 49 points (18 goals, 31 assists) in 68 games, Alfredsson returned to Ottawa on Dec. 4, 2014, to retire as a Senator. He then had his No. 11 retired on Dec. 29, 2016.
Alfredsson had a distinguished body of work on the international stage with Sweden as well, including winning the gold medal at the 2006 Turin Olympics and the silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Despite all that, Alfredsson, who was in his fifth year of Hall of Fame eligibility, wasn't expecting a call on Monday from Hall of Fame chairman Lanny McDonald and selection committee chairman Mike Gartner.
"It was after 8 o'clock local time here, I thought it's not going to happen this year," he said. "But they called and my wife answered the phoned and asked, 'Who's calling?' A very pleasant surprise, extremely honored."
Senators fans had organized a robust campaign to have Alfredsson elected to the Hall, and the graceful former captain chuckled about the idea that they had finally managed to get the job done.
"I would like to think that it was my playing career that made them select me," he said with a laugh. "But it really does feel truly special to have the support not only from the group that put this (election) bid together, but also all the fans who responded.
"When you do retire, it feels even more special to be able to have the connection that I've had with the city and the fans, even after my playing days. That means a lot. I think a lot of fans of the Senators are very happy today as well to see me get this recognition. They're a big part of it.
"We play our careers, we do the best we can, we're professionals, we take pride in what we do. When we hang them up, we hang them up. We can't control what happens after that.
"But it's really a humbling honor to get this when you think of the people who were there before, and especially to get this recognition in a Canadian market where I played the majority of my career, knowing how much hockey means to the city, I know how much this recognition will means to the fans of Ottawa as well. It's truly humbling."