He famously copied a moment of frustration from Leafs captain and fellow Swede Mats Sundin. He took out Darcy Tucker in a second-round playoff match in 2002, scoring right after and forcing the Leafs winger to miss the next game.
So it surprised everyone when the Ottawa Senators icon joined the Maple Leafs as an associate coach this off-season – working under special executive adviser Sundin, no less.
It might be an even bigger surprise when Alfredsson faces off against the Senators as a Maple Leaf for the first time on Saturday (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+, 7 p. m. ET / 4 p. m. PT).
While national teammates Alfredsson and Sundin patched things up long ago, the former mentioned he made sure to reconnect more recently with Tucker, too.
Alfredsson, 53, spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the Senators before taking on his new role in Toronto.
He said he got to know some Maple Leafs alumni at a golf tournament not too long ago and continues to stay connected with colleagues from his time with the Senators. He also shared why he decided to make this move.
“If I want to be a coach, you’ve got to experience different situations and different scenarios, different systems, and that’s kind of where it went in my head. How can I evolve and get better as a coach if this is the road I’m going down?” he said.
Alfredsson recognized that switching sides in the Battle of Ontario isn’t easy.
“It’s different, no question, being on the other side,” he said. “We wish them the best and wish us a little bit better.”
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