After spending 17 of his 18 NHL seasons with the Ottawa Senators, Daniel Alfredsson signed a ceremonial one-day deal with the team and announced his retirement amid persistent back injuries.
Alfredsson is set to participate in the pre-game warm-ups Thursday night when the team hosts the New York Islanders at the Canadian Tire Center.
Alfredsson, 41, spent last season with the Detroit Red Wings in what marked his only campaign for a team other than the Senators. He said his injuries led him to opt for retirement.
"Last year my body began to complain once more," Alfredsson told NHL.com. "The old injuries and hard work to recover began again. I worked hard to play another year [but] three weeks ago I decided to retire."
Alfredsson owns several Senators franchise records including games played (1,178), goals (426), assists (682) and points (1,108). In his final season, Alfredsson was productive for the Red Wings, tying for the team lead with 49 points and also ranking third on the team in goals (18) and assists (31).
Alfredsson has 1,157 points, which ranks 51st in NHL history and has pieced together 444 goals, which places him 60th all-time.
Alfredsson captained the Senators for 13 seasons from 1999-2013 before signing a one-year deal with the Red Wings last season.
The Sweden native is the Senators all-time leader in goals, assists and points in the postseason.
Ottawa made the playoffs in 11 of Alfredsson's 13 seasons as team captain and went as far as the Stanley Cup Final in 2007.
"Without question Daniel has been the greatest player that this city has ever seen," Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said.
Alfredsson will turn 42 next Thursday and is a one-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time NHL All-Star.
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