Alfreddson to play for Sweden at the World Championships

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Stockholm, Sweden- Fresh off a game seven loss to the New York Rangers in the first round of the NHL playoffs, Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson has decided to play for Team Sweden at the World Hockey Championships.  Those expecting to hear Alfredsson announce his retirement will get to see him at least one more time.

The addition of Alfredsson will give the Swedish national team a boost after losing five straight exhibition games.  By committing to the World Hockey Championships, after a tough seven game loss in the Stanley Cup playoffs has now made Alfredsson one of the most celebrated players to wear the Swedish jersey.

Alfie, is now the oldest player to play for Sweden at the IIHF World Championships in the modern era.  Borje Salming was 38 when played at the World Championships in 1989.  The appeal of playing back in Stockholm was too good to pass up and Alfredsson has indicated that his family may join him for at least part of the tournament.

This will be the seventh World Championships for the Senators captain, but his first since Austria in 2005.  Alfredsson has also represented Sweden in all four Olympics since 1998 and two World Cups (1996 and 2004).

His return to the Swedish team will mark the return to Globen Arena in Stockholm where he played in his very first World Championships in 1995.  It was at the 1995 tournament where scouts first got an idea of how good a player he could be.  In the tournament Sweden went on to lose the gold medal game to Finland 4-1.

His biggest accomplishment with the Swedish team was winning the 2006 Olympic gold in Turin. Silver in 1995 and 2004 and bronze in 1999 and 2001 are his best results in the Worlds.

For his career, Alfredsson has played in 78 games in the Olympics, World Championships and World Cups scoring 68 points (29 goals and 39 assists).  Drafted only in the sixth round in 1994 by the Senators he has played all his 1,131 NHL games with Ottawa, being almost a point-per-game player; 416 goals + 666 assists for 1,082 points.

Alfredsson has indicated that his willingness to play for Sweden in the World Championships has no bearing on whether he will play another year for Sweden or not.