Daniel Alfredsson to be behind Senators’ bench for Sweden games

Daniel Alfredsson is returning to the Ottawa Senators bench as they take the ice in Stockholm for the first of the Global Series games — only this time, he’ll be behind it, as a coach.

Head coach D.J. Smith asked the former captain and current member of the coaching staff to take a spot behind the bench when the Senators play the Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota Wild in his home country of Sweden on Thursday.

“I talked to the coaching staff and they asked if I wanted to join them,” Alfredsson told reporters. “I guess I’ve done a decent enough job that they trust me, and I’m really looking forward to that part of the action and to see it up close.

“I’ll be nervous, but it’s going to be fun. I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

Alfredsson joined the Senators in a player development and coaching role at the start of the season, under new president of hockey operations Steve Staios, after years of distancing himself from the organization under previous owner Eugene Melnyk.

The Swede told Staios that he would like a “boots on the ground” role in order to better serve the up-and-coming players in the Senators’ organization but has been mostly deployed to assist at practice.

It’s entirely fitting then that his first time behind the bench comes with the team he captained for 14 years against the team with which he closed out his career.

Even more special that this game comes in his home country.

“We played most of our careers in North America and now being able to come back, both as a player and staff, with NHL teams … I think it’s great, into the season, real hockey games — it’s great marketing for everybody,” Alfredsson said on the games in Sweden.

“Great for the Swedish fans to obviously get a close look at the NHL, you know, at the highest level.”