People visiting the complex in the coming days could easily bump into the greatest captain in Senators history. Alfredsson admits, somewhat sheepishly, that he began dreaming of opening a padel center because he wanted a place where he could play this emerging sport in the Ottawa area.
Before long, however, Alfredsson will have to space out his visits to eastern Ottawa... To better focus on his full-time job on the other side of town.
As he enters his second season behind the bench, good humor — and optimism — reign supreme.
“I was really impressed with the way that the players bought in to what the coaches were trying to sell,” said Alfredsson. “I thought that they did a tremendous job. I really liked the way that we progressed throughout the year. We had our challenges, like we will this year. I think that it’s important to remember that every season, it’s tough. It’s a tough league. It’s tough to win in the NHL. Throughout it all, we were able to manage our highs and lows pretty good. We didn’t get too far down that we played ourselves out of the playoffs. And we didn’t get too confident either. The players ended up playing their best hockey when it mattered the most, down the stretch.”
For this reason, Alfredsson is convinced that the Senators can continue their momentum. And this, even though they will continue to play in an extremely competitive division, with dozens of tough matchups on the schedule.
“Of course! We should be optimistic. But it’s like anything. You have to do the work,” said Alfredsson. “I’m sure that the players felt too, at the end of the season, in the playoffs, the atmosphere that was in the rink, they were probably inspired going into the summer and improving on that. I think that we can’t just do the same season over. We have to improve on it. We have to take another step towards the ultimate goal. I’m optimistic that they will do that based on the way that they responded last year. I have no indications to think otherwise.”
Alfredsson should also improve. His first full season as an assistant coach was an eye-opener. The training camp led by Travis Green was, he said, the most difficult of his entire career. “It was very demanding. We were trying to teach a new system with only three weeks on the ice. We didn’t get a lot of time with the group that was going to start the season,” said Alfredsson. “Now, we are going to use a lot of the stuff that we used last year. We will build on it. We will be more efficient this time around.”
RECHARGED BATTERIES
The Senators legend himself was thrilled by the playoffs after more than a decade. The atmosphere at the Canadian Tire Centre during the playoffs reminded him of his glory days. “I think that the whole organization did a phenomenal job, especially playing Toronto, making sure that there was a majority of Ottawa fans in attendance. And that made a big difference,” said Alfredsson.
Always seeking balance, he made it a point not to think too much about hockey starting in July. He gave himself permission to unwind during his stay in Scandinavia.
Of course, he had to do a little work at times with the other members of Travis Green's coaching staff. Between occasional team meetings, he chose to spend most of his time on the golf course and the padel courts. He considers himself extremely privileged. His four sons, aged between 14 and 22, chose to spend the holidays with him and his wife Bibi.
“It's priceless. It’s really nice, especially at these stages of their lives,” said Alfredsson. “They are growing into their own personalities more and more. The youngest stages are fun too but I find that I am really enjoying the stages where they are now. We can do more activities together. It’s just really valuable time to have everybody together, and see them bond as well. They are at that age where they make their own decisions a lot of time. It’s fun to see them getting along.”
The Alfredsson brothers get along well... but not all the time. Their father created a competitive atmosphere at home from an early age. He can't help it. It's in his nature. And since apples don't fall far from the tree, we can guess that padel matches can get pretty intense.
The head of the clan, as we know, is not one to shy away from a challenge.
“They are forcing me to stay on top of things. There’s no question. I might still be ahead in most sports, but it’s getting closer and closer. It won’t be long before they don’t even want to play with me. I’m trying to do the most of the next few years, but I love it. I love that they are competitive and that they want to get better. They strive to get better as well.”
