Leaving home is never easy, but leaving it for enemy territory might be even harder.
Daniel Alfredsson did just that when he departed the Ottawa Senators to join the Toronto Maple Leafs' coaching staff, going from the team he played 17 seasons with to its most hated rival.
The longtime Sens captain took the time to explain the decision on Wednesday and say his goodbyes to the city and fanbase.
"To the Ottawa fans, love you as always. Thank you. I understand this is an interesting day, but also an exciting chapter for me as I expand my coaching career," Alfredsson said on a Zoom press conference. "Really looking forward to joining Jim and his coaching staff, and be part of Toronto."
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022, Alfredsson spent all but one of his NHL seasons in Canada's capital. He played in the city from the 1995-96 season to the 2012-13 season, when he was 40 years old.
The now-53-year-old rejoined the Senators after his retirement in 2014, signing up as a senior advisor of hockey operations. Though he left the role in 2017, he joined the organization once again in 2023 in a player development coaching role.
Alfredsson then transitioned into an assistant coaching role after the team fired D.J. Smith in December 2023, and he remained on the staff when the team hired current bench boss Travis Green.
However, his contract ran out after this past season, and Alfredsson explained that he had already made up his mind that it was time to move on.
"I think when I felt this is the career I want to go down, as a coach, I knew I had to move at some point. I have to earn my way and get the experience," Alfredsson explained, stating that he understands the pain Senators fans might feel. "I'm sure, in my dreams, would I have loved to stay and become the head coach of Ottawa? Maybe. But nobody stays as the coach forever in one spot no matter how popular you are. You gotta perform. And for me, to get better as a coach, this is the path I knew at some point I had to move.
"They don't hand out jobs easily in the NHL, it's a tough job to get. When I had this opportunity, I felt it was the right one for my coaching career without a question."
