THN Archive: One year before Daniel Alfredsson's overtime goal sent the Senators to their only Stanley Cup Final, some fans wanted to run him out of town.
As we await the NHL Draft, trade season, and free agency, it's the calm before the storm in Ottawa. It's a perfect time for this writer to pour his favourite drink and relive some old Ottawa Senators' memories at The Hockey News Archive.
With the 2024 Stanley Cup Final currently performing on the main stage, my mind wandered back to 2007, when the Senators made their only Cup Final appearance. As host of the TSN 1200 morning show in Ottawa, that was around the time I created the fictional Church of Alfie, in honour of future Hall of Famer Daniel Alfredsson.
So that's the era I clicked back to tonight in the Archive.
As you'll read below, in the June 5th, 2007 issue of The Hockey News, writer Mike Brophy took Senator fans to task, reminding them how much criticism some of them had heaped on Alfie just one year earlier.
I'd forgotten about all of that because, after 2007, there would never again be anything but praise for Alfie.
By the way, when you subscribe to The Hockey News magazine, you get full access to The THN Archive, filled with more great Sens and NHL stories of the past, just like the one below. – Steve
Time for Alfie to Get Praised
They are celebrating Daniel Alfredsson in Ottawa these days like he’s the second coming of Cy Denneny.
Bandwagon jumpers.
Shame on Ottawa fans who, for years, made the hard-working and high-scoring Alfredsson the focus of all that went wrong for a franchise that has been known to shoot itself in the foot on occasion. The Senators have had their share of problems over the years – goaltending, coaching, being too soft, etc. But Daniel Alfredsson? Gimme a break.
If you want to get on the Senators for some of their past blunders, feel free. But the days of pointing the finger at Alfredsson for the team’s misfortunes are over.
Through three playoff rounds, Alfredsson was the leading contender for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs, thanks to his league-high 10 goals (including four game-winners, also tops in the playoffs) and always-dependable defensive play. Heading into the Stanley Cup final, the 34-year-old Swede was third in scoring with 17 points in 15 games behind linemates Dany Heatley (21 points) and Jason Spezza (20).
You get the feeling this guy would be elected mayor of Ottawa if he ran for the job. But a year ago at this time, there were fans in Ottawa who wanted to ride him out of town.
The Blame Game
When the Senators failed to live up to expectations once again in 2005-06, the lasting memory was of Buffalo’s Jason Pominville skating around Alfredsson to score a shorthanded goal that knocked the Senators out of the playoffs. Penalty-killing forwards are taught, when killing penalties, to try to exploit a forward that has been assigned to play the point on the other team’s power play because forwards, generally, aren’t as good at defending 1-on-1. That is exactly what Pominville did.
“I have been living in their house for the past year and I saw how much it hurt him,” says Daniel’s younger brother, Henrik. “I don’t think it was fair. The team struggled at times, but it seemed often the focus was on Daniel. When you are the captain, I guess you are responsible to a certain point, but I thought too much blame was placed on him.”
-HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN HARD ON HIMSELF, EVEN WHEN HE’S PLAYING GREAT.– HENRIK ALFREDSSON
Henrik, seven years Daniel’s junior and a former player who scored 22 goals and 40 points in 65 games with the Ottawa 67’s in 1998-99, says it was ridiculous to think his big brother wasn’t giving it everything he could.
“He has always been hard on himself, even when he’s playing great like he is now,” Henrik says. “He says, ‘I know I can play better.’ That’s the way he is. Whatever he does, he wants to be the best. He got a German Shepherd two years ago and we never had pets growing up. Well, the next thing you know Daniel is reading everything he can get his hands on about German Shepherd dogs. Whatever he takes upon himself, he takes it seriously.”
Daniel has been an impact player since joining Ottawa as the 133rd player selected in the 1994 entry draft. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1995-96 and made the NHL’s all-rookie team. Yet, as time progressed and the Senators broke their fans’ hearts year after year with disappointing playoff performances, he has routinely been criticized and questioned as the team’s leader.
By the fans, that is, not his teammates.
“Alfie is our leader,” Spezza says. “All the criticism he has gotten in the past, it is great to see him getting his due now.”
Although he is quiet by nature, some teammates say Alfredsson has become slightly more vocal this season.
“I don’t know if it’s so much him standing up in the room and speaking, but he definitely challenges guys…going up and saying things to them,” says defenceman Wade Redden. “Even when we’re working on the power play, if something needs to be done he’s usually the guy to initiate it. We have a lot of meetings in the coaches’ room and he’s quick to point things out, even if he disagrees with what the coaches are saying.”
SCREEN LEGEND
And, as always, his best qualities as a leader continue to come in the form of actions, not words. So, with Game 5 on the line in overtime, it was payback time for the Senators. This time it was Alfredsson who broke in on a defender. He cut to the middle of the ice, used Sabres defenseman Brian Campbell as a screen, and fired a shot that traveled between the defenseman’s legs and past goalie Ryan Miller. Sweet revenge.
Was it the biggest goal of his career?
“In 1995 at the World Championship in the semifinal in Stockholm against Canada, I got the overtime winner,” says a humble Alfredsson. “But I’d say so far this is probably the biggest goal I’ve ever scored.”
Should the Senators go on to win the Stanley Cup and Alfredsson go on to be named playoff MVP, Ottawa fans will certainly want to thank him.
Oh, and they may also want to say sorry.
By Mike Brophy, June 2007, The Hockey News Archive