Daniel Alfredsson (pronounced [ˈdɑ̂ːnɪɛl ˈâlfrɛdˌsɔn]; born 11 December 1972), nicknamed "Alfie", is a Swedish-Canadian former professional ice hockey player and assistant coach for the Ottawa Senators.

One of the league's top two-way players, he holds the Senators' franchise records for goals (426), assists (682) and points (1,108)[3] with 1,178 games played.

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.

On 24 August 1997, he demanded a trade from the Senators after the five-year contract offered to him was worth $1 million less annually than that teammate Alexei Yashin received per season.

[8] The club once again qualified for the playoffs, and Alfredsson hoped to have a good post-season,[8] 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 honour his contract.

In 2000–01, Alexei 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 2001 playoffs, and Alfredsson was limited to one goal in a four-game series sweep by Toronto.

He played on an all-NHL line with P. J. Axelsson and Samuel Påhlsson, helping the club win the Swedish championship.

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 alongside 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.

However, after switching to using teammate Chris Kelly's used skates, his performance improved, scoring in the next four games, and ending the season with 29 goals and 58 assists.

His leadership and strong play helped the Senators as they advanced past the Pittsburgh Penguins, the New Jersey Devils and the Buffalo Sabres, to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in modern franchise history.

Alfredsson was arguably Ottawa's best player in the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals, which the Senators ultimately lost to the Anaheim Ducks in a five-game series.

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 important game.

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.

In October 2008, Alfredsson underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to remove a bone chip and returned less than a week later.

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.

[14] 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.

[17] Alfredsson was chosen to represent the Senators again at the 2012 NHL All-Star Game held at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa.

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 team made the 2013 playoffs despite losing several key players to injury for extended periods, and defeated the rival Montreal Canadiens in the first round.

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.

[23] On 5 July 2013, after 17 seasons with the Senators, Alfredsson signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings.

[25] Ex-Senators' head coach Jacques Martin, at the time a hockey analyst on TVA Sports, compared Alfredsson's departure to Ray Bourque's decision to move to the Colorado Avalanche from the Boston Bruins to win a Stanley Cup.

[25] Alfredsson confirmed a day later that his decision to leave Ottawa was motivated by a desire to win a Stanley Cup prior to retirement.

[28] 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 home crowd.

[38] On 13 October 2023 it was announced that Alfredsson had re-joined the Ottawa Senators organization in a player development coaching role.

[49][50] Bold indicates led league On 7 June 2016 Alfredsson received an honorary degree from Carleton University for his outstanding contributions to Canadian hockey and, in particular, his commitment to the community through philanthropic efforts that include mental health awareness and advocacy for equality of athletes, regardless of their sexual orientation.