DETROIT -- After a tumultuous summer, Daniel Alfredsson was finally back to doing what he does best -- playing hockey.
Alfredsson made his Red Wings debut Friday at Joe Louis Arena -- wearing No. 11 ... so long, Dan Cleary. Alfredsson took part in an informal practice session with several teammates, including captain Henrik Zetterberg.
“It felt good to finally come here and skate,” Alfredsson said. “It’s been a few months since I signed, and the only thing that has happened is moving the family.
“We arrived yesterday, and coming here, skating with the guys, almost makes it feel that it’s real now.
“I’m excited to be here, and I’m really looking forward to this challenge and what I can do for the team. Hopefully, I can have a good year.”
Last week, Alfredsson and his family were in Detroit looking at houses. His family spent time with Johan Franzen’s family, and Alfredsson came down to the arena to visit with staff and meet with Wings GM Ken Holland.
“I feel I’m getting use to the surroundings a little bit,” Alfredsson said. “This is a really exciting adventure for me and my family.”
You could tell that Alfredsson was relaxed and just glad to be back on the ice. His decision to leave the Senators after 17 years sent shock waves throughout Ottawa and Canada. It seems a day hasn’t gone by when his defection to Detroit isn’t brought up north of the border.
“I was in Sweden at the time, but I knew it was going to be a big story,” Alfredsson said about his leaving the Senators. “If I was in Ottawa, I may have a different feeling than I have right now."
Being back in Sweden was a buffer between Alfredsson and the Canadian press, which was highly critical of his move.
But his relationship wasn’t with the press; it was with the Ottawa fans.
“My point of view is that I was able to have an experience and a relationship with the Ottawa fans for such a long time, and that doesn’t happen very often,” Alfredsson said. “I had mixed emotions. I love Ottawa for everything that it has given me. I still love Ottawa.”
As much as he’s appreciative of the Senators fans, Alfredsson is eager to begin his career here, especially with the Wings being in the Eastern Conference -- a move that he sees as beneficial to Detroit.
“They will adapt really well,” Alfredsson said. “They play that skating style, that puck possession style, that’s demanding and makes things happen.”
“The travel is a lot easier, no time changes. Mentally over a season, that has an affect and that’s gone. That is a big plus, as well.”
Alfredsson’s not too concerned with who he’ll be playing with in Detroit. He likes the Wings' depth at forward. And being on a new team with players such as Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk has given the 40-year-old a sense of rejuvenation.
“In Ottawa, I was treated so well for so many years," Alfredsson said. "You grow accustomed to it. I took it for granted. Now that I’ve changed teams, I’ve got to prove myself again.
“The Red Wings fans, I’m sure have heard of me and know of me, but I want to show my best sides. It’s exciting, a little bit nervous, obviously, but it’s given me a little more energy in the summer workouts than I’ve had the last few years.”
Although Alfredsson is excited to get the season under way, Zetterberg is in a state of disbelief that Alfie is his teammate.
“When Alfie called me up in the middle of the summer and asked how Detroit is, I was like, 'Why? Why is he wondering how Detroit is?'” Zetterberg said. “He explained that he might be a Red Wing next year.
"I was really surprised and really happy, and a few days later, it was signed and done.
“Alfie is the last Swede in the league that I thought I would play with.”
