Daniel Alfredsson, the leading scorer in Ottawa Senators history, has rejoined the organization in a role that includes player development and coaching.
"Great, without a question, to be back in the fire," Alfredsson said after going on the ice at practice Friday. "I got a taste of it last year just helping out with injured guys and being around the team a little bit. It's going to be more than that this year. I'll be around more."
Senators president of hockey operations Steve Staios said Alfredsson is going to be helping the Senators develop on and off the ice. He called Alfredsson's role "a bit between player development, but also coaching, so we'll just see how the role evolves."
"He's officially back with the organization and we couldn't be happier," Staios said.
Alfredsson, who played for the Senators from 1995-2013, said he will be around the team "a fair bit," but may not travel with them.
"Let's start here," he said. "This is where I felt I can contribute the most, and then we'll see where that leads us. So I'm just super happy to be here now, and where this takes us, who knows."
The Senators lost 5-3 at the Carolina Hurricanes in their season opener Wednesday but defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2 in their home opener on Saturday.
Senators coach D.J. Smith is in favor of Alfredsson being back and being around the team, Staios said.
"Never mind that he's Daniel Alfredsson, but I look at his character and his hockey acumen, I was eager to get him in wherever he wanted," Staios said. "And he's got a great deal of passion. Obviously we know his competitiveness. We feel like this is the best point for him to start, get him on the ice around our good, young core and continue to help them get better."
Alfredsson was the Senators captain from 1999-2013. Brady Tkachuk, in his third season as Ottawa captain, said Alfredsson spoke to the team in a meeting before practice Friday.
"I think everybody's very fired up to have him," Tkachuk said. "Of course, not just him as a player but what he's done for the city and the community. Just all the experiences that he's gone through, to share that with us, I think that's going to help us get to the next level.
"For me individually, it can add another awesome career to my toolbox to learn from and be able to be a sponge and ask questions to him."
This is Alfredsson's second post-playing stint with the Senators. He was a senior advisor of hockey operations from 2015-17.
Alfredsson stepped down after the 2016-17 season and said he wanted to evaluate what would be next in his hockey career. His family, though, stayed in Ottawa.
Staios said he initially approached Alfredsson about returning to the Senators, and that new owner Michael Andlauer also had a conversation with him.
Andlauer's purchase of controlling interest in the Senators was announced Sept. 21. Staios was hired as president of hockey operations eight days later.
"It was always on my mind if and when I got here," Staios said of having Alfredsson again working for the Senators. "You're always preparing who you're going to talk to in certain roles, and I really wanted to know what Daniel wanted to do. His eyes kind of lit up when we started talking about this role and him being around. The players have such a great passion for our team and so we're extremely excited to have him back in the mix."
Staios said Alfredsson's ability to interact and relate with players and coaches, and his understanding of the Ottawa market, are essential to why the Senators wanted him back.
"With the vision Michael and I have talked about, the culture that we want to create here, players are important to us, and Daniel is going to have that rapport with them where he can not only develop that relationship, but also hold them accountable and hold them to a high standard," Staios said. "I think it's a perfect fit.
"He's fully in, and we couldn't be happier."
Alfredsson played 17 of his 18 NHL seasons with the Senators. He is Ottawa's all-time leader in goals (426), assists (682) and points (1,108). His 1,178 games played are second behind former defenseman Chris Phillips (1,179). He played the 2013-14 season with the Detroit Red Wings before retiring and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2022.
Alfredsson had his No. 11 jersey retired before a game against the Red Wings on Dec. 29, 2016, becoming the first Senators player to be honored.
"The connection with the team and the city means a lot," Alfredsson said. "I've been following these guys since I came back to Ottawa pretty closely. Seeing this young group growing together and getting better each year has been fun to watch and now I get to be a part of it."
NHL.com independent correspondent Callum Fraser contributed to this report
