All businesses. Then a big smile. A big Alfie smile. I was sitting across from him at home in Sweden this summer. We both knew the call might come that day. We’ve been waiting for it together on the same day for the past two years. So to be there when it happened, to see firsthand how much it meant to him — to his family, to his boys — was really special. Daniel Alfredsson, Hockey Hall of Fame, Class of 2022. I’m so happy for you, Alfie. You deserve it for a million different reasons, many of which everyone knows. They saw it with their own eyes. You were an incredible player. But I was lucky enough to see first hand what an incredible person you are. And if everyone doesn’t mind… I just want to talk about my friend for a few minutes. There are many places I could start. But one of the best experiences of my time in Ottawa was the night Alfie retired as a Senator. December 4, 2014. Full house. His beautiful family by his side. I remember standing near the bench with his boys and watching him as he stood under the spotlight at center ice. The arena was going crazy. It felt like all of Ottawa was there with us. Like she was there with him. He stood there for a few seconds and, man, you could feel the love—the appreciation. You don’t hear many rinks like this, you really don’t. Andre Ringuette / NHLI via Getty In that moment, what I already knew was reinforced: Ottawa loves Alfie like a son, and he loves her right back. It always has. There are a lot of kids who win Cups, who win various awards and all that. But there are not many who could get such a reaction from their hometown. And it’s because of who he is as a man, the relationship he’s made with so many Senator fans. I learned that the second I became a member of the organization. Actually, probably a few seconds before. The 2008 draft was in Ottawa. I had no idea where I was going. Some teams were interested but my agent didn’t have a good idea either. There was some rumblings when Ottawa traded up for the 15th pick. And then Alfie took to the stage to announce it. The place went wild. Alfie! Alfie! Alfie! I don’t remember him saying it because I was so excited, but I do know that at one point he said, “The Ottawa Senators selected, with their first pick, Erik Karlsson from Frolunda, Sweden.” Then I kind of blacked out. Luckily it’s on YouTube somewhere out there I’m sure. But I remember how excited the building was to see him and how nice he was to me. As a European player, the draft can be extremely overwhelming. I didn’t know anyone and it was just a whirlwind but Alfie put me at ease straight away. That summer he invited me to his house in Sweden and I met his whole family. He treated me like one of his boys and they were all so nice to me. I was really happy to be a Senator for many reasons. I had heard so many great things about the city and the team. But to hope to play alongside Alfie one day… that would be a dream for any Swedish player my age. All the kids I played with at home knew who he was, of course. He was a hero! You see, when I was growing up, we really didn’t follow the NHL much. I know we used to play the video games on my SEGA. My friends and I picked the Sens a lot because they were so good back then. But we followed hockey through our local teams and the Swedish national team. Andre Ringuette / NHLI via Getty And every Swede will remember 2006 and the Torino Olympics. I was 15 years old, I was obsessed with hockey. My team and I watched every game. And the gold medal match was one of those nights — one of those moments, really — that sticks with you. It means so much to us. So much. Maybe more than I could really understand at that age. To beat Finland too, extra sweet. Alfie was a big part of that team, along with so many legends (Congratulations, Henrik and Daniel!) who inspired a whole generation of kids. We have a lot of great players these days, but people forget that we are a small country. What this team achieved… will be felt in Sweden for a long, long time. A few years later, I was playing for Frolunda. Alfie had played there for a while before going to Ottawa. He meant a lot to this club and you couldn’t find someone who didn’t like to tell you their favorite goal or moment. He came back to the facility in the off-season and treated everyone like family. I will never forget this. Going into my rookie season in Ottawa, knowing the type of guy Alfie was made all the difference for me. That’s really what I mean. To be honest with you… I know I wouldn’t be the player I am today without his help. I had a different style at the time than a lot of other NHL defensemen and it wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But Alfie knew me, he knew what I could do, what I wanted to do. And I don’t know exactly how he did it, but having him in my corner… he protected me, in a way. They allowed me to play my game. And I think that’s a huge part of why I quickly found success in Ottawa. Except for the ice… well, he became a great friend. He was the best man at my wedding in 2017. He and his family mean the world to my wife, Mel, and me. I really feel so lucky to know him. And to have played next to him? Pretty cool, if you ask me. I will cherish our time on the national team together in Sochi in 2014. That was a dream come true. His 1,000th game — so glad I was there for that. Watching him score his 400th goal — what a moment. What can I say? I’m a big fan. When I got the C in Ottawa, I knew what it meant because of everything I had learned from him. His connection to the city became mine, and we both still call the city home. I will always love Ottawa, and that is partly because of Alfie. On the day he retired as a Senator in 2014, the whole night was supposed to be about him. And rightfully so. But I remember going to the rink and all the boys were wearing my jersey. Not their father’s – mine. I had just become captain a few months earlier, and I knew Alfie meant it as a gesture to everyone. As if to say, my time is up, let’s go after Eric and the team. Even down to his last day as a Senator, he still had my back. That’s exactly who he is. He is ‘Uncle Alfie’ to my children and when they are old enough to know him better, they will know what a wonderful man he is. A wonderful father, a wonderful husband, a wonderful person. He treated everyone with respect. He knew right from wrong. He cared passionately about the game of hockey and the city of Ottawa. He still does. It feels incredible to say that my best friend is going to the Hall of Fame. Congratulations my friend. – Eric
