Reader Submission - 2006-07 Ottawa Senators Daniel Alfredsson Jersey

Our latest reader submission comes from Jani Maarala, and it's perfect timing with the NHL playoffs now underway.

Here is Jani's writeup about his favorite jersey and what makes it historic in term of the Stanley Cup Finals.

One of the definite favorites in my collection is 2006-2007 Ottawa Senators Daniel Alfredsson SCF White. 

This jersey was worn in the first Stanley Cup Final in Ottawa for 80 years. Also it was the first in Ontario province in 40 years. 

Ottawa was down 2-0 in the series but won the third game by the score of 5-3. There was an incident following Daniel Alfredsson's tying goal which made it 3-3. The referees waved the goal off at first, because they thought it was a kick. After video review the goal was approved because there was no kicking motion. 

This jersey is historic also because of a fact that no other European had captained a team to the Stanley Cup finals before Alfredsson.

Thanks to Jani for taking the time to photograph his jersey and share the story of Alfresson and his historic participation in the Stanley Cup Finals in this style jersey. We really appreciate the efforts involved when our readers take the time and effort to share their jerseys.

If you have a jersey in your collection that you'd like to share with us and your fellow readers, please submit your pictures and a story to go with it, no matter how brief or detailed, to spyboy1@gmail.com and we look forward to seeing your favorites!

11/11/11

This being 11/11/11, we at Third String Goalie are taking a look at the best players to ever wear #11.

Notable players to have worn #11 include Bobby Carpenter, Kevin Dineen, Vic Hadfield, Walt McKechnie, Ulf Nilsson, Hall of Famer Bill Quackenbush and Charlie Simmer among many others.

Two active players wearing #11 we anticipate will have their numbers retired are Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson and long time Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu.

Alfressson has played all of his 16 seasons with the Senators and holds club records for goals, assists and points as well as games played. Remarkably, his 1,023 points are nearly twice as many as the Jason Spezza's 532. He was named team captain in 1999-00 and has remained so for 13 seasons.

Alfredsson's featured jersey is a 1995-96 Ottawa Senators jersey. This was worn during Alfredsson's rookie season when he won the Calder Trophy and has the Smitty patch in memory of Brian Smith, a Senators reporter who was murdered that year.

Koivu played 13 seasons with the Canadiens, with nine of those as team captain, tied with the legendary Jean Beliveau for the longest tenure. Koivu holds the distinction of being the first European to captain the Canadiens. Koivu overcame cancer during his career and made an emotional comeback to the game after missing nearly the entire 2001-02 season, receiving an eight-minute long standing ovation. For his dedication to hockey, he received the Masterton Trophy in 2002. He is currently 6th all-time in assists for Montreal and has also won the King Clancy Trophy for leadership qualities on and off the ice and making a significant humanitarian contribution to his community.

Koivu's featured jersey is a 2002-03 Montreal Canadiens jersey with the Hockey Fights Cancer patch worn during the season after Koivu's return from his bout with cancer.

Four players have had #11 retired in their honor in league history, the first of which was Brian Sutter of the St. Louis Blues. The oldest of the six Sutter brothers, he played 11 seasons with the Blues, the last nine of them as team captain. The season following his retirement he was named the coach of the team, a position he held for four seasons. He was known as an extremely hard working player who was responsible in the defensive zone yet still managed two forty goal seasons.

Sutter's featured jersey is a 1984-85 St. Louis Blues jersey from the only season they wore this exact jersey. This was the first season with the "Blues" script above the team logo, and for the next two seasons with the script logo, red trim was added to the jersey.

Mike Gartner had his number retired by the Washington Capitals after spending the first 10 of his 19 seasons with Washington. He is sixth in games played for the Capitals, second in all time Capitals goals, assists and points. He would go on to play with the Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Phoenix Coyotes in a career that would include 1,432 games played, 708 goals, 627 assists and 1,335 points. He was known for his blazing speed and holds the NHL record with 15 consecutive seasons of 30 goals or more and the most 30 goal seasons with 17. Gartner was only the fifth player to reach 700 goals for a career, was the 1993 NHL All-Star Game MVP and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.

Gartner's featured jersey is a 1985-86 Washington Capitals jersey. This jersey features the five stars down the sleeves, which the Capitals jerseys had from 1974-75 until 1982-83 until going to just four stars for two seasons until reverting back to five again for the 1985-86 season.

The next player to have his #11 lifted to the rafters was Buffalo Sabres legend and cornerstone, Gilbert Perreault. He was the franchise's first ever draft pick, taken first overall in 1970 thanks to a spin of a wheel which came up #11, giving the Sabres the first pick in the draft.

Perreault would play 17 seasons in Buffalo and is widely regarded as one of the most gifted and skillful playmaking centers to ever play the game. He would win the Calder Trophy and Lady Byng Trophy during his career. Despite retiring in 1987, he still holds franchise records for games played, goals, assists and points as well as game winning goals and shots on goal. He is the only Sabre with over 500 goals and his 1,326 points are over 500 more than the next highest Sabre. He was team captain for five seasons and is the only Sabre to ever wear #11. Perreault was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990.

Perreault's featured jersey is a 1983-84 Buffalo Sabres jersey. The Sabres played with essentially the same jerseys from 1970 to 1996 with only slight variations, such as eliminating the original tie-neck collars in 1978, the same year they added shoulder logos.

This jersey proved so popular with the Sabres fans that it was brought back as a third jersey in 2006-07 and was modernized for a new third jersey again in 2008, which then became the primary jersey in 2010.

The best player to ever wear #11 has the distinction of having his number retired by two different teams. Mark Messier is known as one of the greatest leaders in hockey history ranks second on the all-time list in points, playoff points and games. He won six Stanley Cups, five with the Edmonton Oilers and a memorable one with the New York Rangers to end their 54 year drought.

He played the first 12 seasons of his career with the Oilers, three of which were as team captain. After five championships with Edmonton, Messier moved to the New York Rangers for six seasons, all of which were as team captain. When the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994, Messier became the only man in league history to captain two different teams to the championship. After leaving the Rangers he moved to the Vancouver Canucks for three seasons as captain before returning to the Rangers for a second time, where he would spend the final four seasons of his 25 year career.

During his career he won the Hart Trophy twice, the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Pearson Award twice. He played in 16 NHL All-Star Games. The Rangers retired his #11 in 2006 and the Oilers did the same in 2007. Messier was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007.

Messier's first featured jersey is a 1989-90 Edmonton Oilers jersey as worn on May 24th, 1990 as he was awarded the Stanley Cup after a 4-1 victory over the Bruins in Boston. It was the first and only time that the Oilers would win the cup in their blue road jersey.

This jersey also features the 1990 Stanley Cup Finals patch on the left chest, only the second time the finals patches were worn, and the first time in it's now traditional location on the right chest.

Messier's second featured jersey is a 1993-94 New York Rangers jersey as worn when Messier famously was handed the Stanley Cup after leading the Rangers to the championship. The Rangers are the only team to wear the patch on their right shoulder due to the diagonal RANGERS cresting on the front of the jersey interfering with the standard location on the right chest.

1995-96 Ottawa Senators Daniel Alfredsson Jersey

Daniel Alfredsson, who was born on this date in 1972 and not drafted until the sixth round, 133rd overall, made his NHL debut for the Ottawa Senators at the start of the 1995-96 season, one of dramatic change for the Senators.

Up until that point the expansion Senators last overall (and 29 points behind the other first year club, the Tampa Bay Lightning), last by 20 points, and last yet again by 12 points in the lockout-shortened 48 game season.

Prior to the start of the season, Brian Smith, a former professional player with the Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota North Stars and and Houston Aeros of the WHA, who was now working as a TV sports anchor was on his way to a charity fund-raising event when he left the station and encountered an escaped mental patient who had gone to the TV station because he thought the station was broadcasting messages in his head. Smith was the first broadcast personality the madman recognized, who shot and killed Smith. The Senators honored Smith by wearing the Smitty 18 patch on their jerseys for that season. As a result of the killing, Brian's Law was passed to make it easier to commit allegedly dangerous patients.

More changes were in store for the Senators, as they got off to a good start with a 6-5-0 record, only to lose their next eight games, which resulted in head coach Rick Bowness being let go in November, replaced by Dave Allison.

In the midst of a 2-22-1 stretch under head coach Allison, general manager Randy Sexton was let go, replaced by Pierre Gauthier.

The 2-22-1 catastrophe would cost Allison his job after only 25 games, and he would then be replaced as head coach by Jacques Martin in January, the Senators third head coach of the season. The club would finish the year 10-24-4 under Martin.

One change in January for the Senators was a positive one, as the moved into their new home, the 19,153 seat Palladium, since renamed the Corel Centre and currently Scotiabank Place, which replaced the Ottawa Civic Centre, which held only 10,585.

There were also numerous changes in team personnel, as Martin Straka, Jaroslav Modry, Steve Duchesne, Tom Chorske, Damian Rhodes and Wade Redden all arrived in trades, as Craig Billington, Don Beaupre, prospect Bryan Berard and both Martin Straka and Jaroslav Modry were all dealt before season's end.

Despite the losses, turnover and turmoil there were three notable bright spots for the Senators, with the move to their brand new arena, the arrival of Jacques Martin, who would provide some much needed stability as he would coach the Senators for nine seasons and the arrival of future team captain Daniel Alfredsson, who would lead the team in goals, assists and scoring with 61 points, 22 more than the next closest teammate, playing in the NHL All-Star Game and win the Calder Trophy.

While the Senators would finish last yet again in 1995-96, key pieces had now arrived and the Senators would not only climb out of the basement with a 36 point improvement in 1996-97, but qualify for the playoffs for the first time ever beginning a run of 11 playoff seasons in a row.

Today's featured jersey is a CCM 1995-96 Ottawa Senators Daniel Alfredsson jersey, as worn by Alfredsson during his Calder Trophy winning rookie season. This jersey features the Brian "Smitty" Smith Memorial patch worn by the Senators that season.

This style of jersey was first used by the Senators in their inaugural season with black in between the red arm stripes and red numbers with white trim. They changed the numbers to white with red trim for greater visibility for the next two seasons before arriving at this jersey in 1995-96 when the area between the red arm stripes was changed to white, a white waist stripe was added above the newly lowered red waist stripe and the sleeve numbers were changed to three color white numbers for two seasons. The final change to the jersey was rotating the sleeve numbers color to black for the final two seasons of the jersey until it was replaced as the primary home jersey by the red alternate introduced in 1997-98.

Today's first video is a look at Alfredsson, the long-time captain of the Senators.

Next, the Ottawa Senators draft Bryan Berard first overall in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. Berard would be dealt away before ever playing a game for the Senators after informing them he would not report to the Senators, despite the commentary in the video.

2000-01 Ottawa Senators Daniel Alfredsson Jersey

It was on this date in 1999 that Daniel Alfredsson was named captain of the Ottawa Senators.

Previous Senators captain, Russian Alexi Yashin, who became captain in 1998-99 and was the original Senators draft pick, second overall in 1992, had already been involved in a contract holdout at the start of the 1995-96 season which lasted until late December and concluded with Yashin signing a new contract.

Prior to the start of the 1999-00 season, Yashin refused to report for the final year of the contract signed in 1995, demanding a raise. When the Senators refused, Yashin demanded a trade. Not only did Ottawa refuse to grant his trade request, they stripped the petulant Yashin of his captaincy and awarded it to Daniel Alfredsson, who continues to hold the position, now for ten years as of today.

Alfredsson had been selected in the sixth round by Ottawa in 1994 and would win the Calder Trophy in 1995-96 after a rookie campaign in which he would score 26 goals and 35 assists for 61 points and represent the Senators at the NHL All-Star Game in Boston.

He would increase his point total by ten, to 71, in his second season and again make the All-Star Game while helping Ottawa qualify for the playoffs for the first time.

1997-98 would see him sign play only 55 games due to an ankle injury, but he would once again be named to the All-Star Game. On the Senators return to the playoffs, Alfredsson would score 7 goals in 11 games as they advanced to the second round for the first time.

Injuries would again limit him in 1998-99. He would score just 11 goals and 33 points, his lowest NHL season totals, in just 58 games.

While again playing less than 60 games in 1999-2000, a more productive Alfredsson, now named team captain, would score 59 points from 57 games, roughly twice the rate of the previous season.

Yashin would return to the Senators after his season long hold out to play out the final year of his contract, but Alfredsson would remain as the Senators captain despite the Russian's return. Alfredsson's games played would increase to 68 and he would maintain his previous season's scoring pace with 70 points.

Today's featured jersey is a ProPlayer 2000-01 Ottawa Senators Daniel Alfredsson jersey. This jersey features the Hockey Fights Cancer patch, worn for one game only by each NHL team's captain sometime in mid-January. The jerseys are then auctioned off for charity as part of the subsequent NHL All-Star Game's weekend festivities.

The original emboridered patches are not available for public sale and are another of my custom made patches using my transfer printing method.

Here is a an NHL Player Profile on Daniel Alfredsson.

2003-04 Ottawa Senators Alternate Daniel Alfredsson Jersey

July by the Numbers reaches #11 today in the form of the familiar number of Daniel Alfredsson.

Born in Sweden in 1972, Alfredsson is currently the captain of the Ottawa Senators. The high scoring Alfredsson holds the Senators franchise records for goals (355), assists (566) and, naturally, points with 921 as well as games played, currently at 932.

He would win the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1995-96, as well as represent the Senators in the NHL All-Star Game in his first three seasons.

His best season to date was in the 2005-06 season when he tallied 43 goals and 60 assists for 103 points, topping the 100 mark for the only time in his career after being paired up with linemates Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza.

On October 5th of that season, Alfredsson became the first player to score a goal in the newly instituted shootout, beating Ed Belfour of Ontario rivals the Toronto Maple Leaf, and as a result, his stick now resides in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

During the lockout season of 2004-05, he would return to his home country of Sweden and help Frölunda win the Swedish Championship.

In 2006-07 the Senators would reach the Stanley Cup Finals, making Alfredsson the first European-born-and-raised captain to do so.

The jersey I am featuring today is a Koho 2003-04 Ottawa Senators Alternate Daniel Alfredsson jersey. This alternate jersey was first introduced in the 2000-01 season and was worn through the 2006-07 campaign.

My example has the rare white version of the Roger Neilson memorial patch, only worn on the black alternate jerseys. It was the only patch worn on this jersey style throughout it's history and depicts one of the colorful neckties that Neilson was known for wearing behind the bench. The home red and road white jerseys had the regular black version of the "Roger" patch.

Alfredsson has also played for Sweden 12 times, including seven World Championships, the World Cup of Hockey twice, and three Olympic Games, including winning the gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.