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Sens president isn’t sure if Alfredsson’s number will be retired

Daniel Alfredsson

Senators president Cyril Leeder is in the process of determining how the Ottawa Senators should proceed from a marketing perspective without their former captain, Daniel Alfredsson.

The 40-year-old forward had been the face of the franchise for so long. He’s the franchise leader in games and with 1108 career points, he has a huge lead on the team’s all-time scoring race over Jason Spezza, who ranks second with 621.

Of course, Alfredsson will be playing for the Detroit Red Wings next season and that has to sting for Ottawa. At the same time, given the impact he’s had on the Senators franchise, he’s still a lock to get his No. 11 retired, right?

“We’ll see,” Leeder told the Ottawa Sun.

“I’m not going to prejudge that now. That’s an announcement that should come at a different point in time.”

Leeder was also asked if the door would be open to Alfredsson returning to the team in a non-playing capacity after his retirement.

“I don’t think that was a foregone conclusion, that Daniel was going to come and work for the organization,” Leeder said. “I know that had been talked about by a number of people but I think that’s still to be determined in the future.”

Leeder doesn’t “necessarily agree” with Alfredsson’s believe that the Detroit Red Wings will provide him with a better chance to win than Ottawa and he’s hoping to prove Alfredsson wrong in that regard.

“But we don’t begrudge him that fact,” Leeder said. “He’s certainly earned the right to make that decision after all he’s given us. We wish him well, except for the four or five nights a year we play him.”

What happens after 2013-14 though, seems to be up in the air.

Related:

Did the Senators low-ball Alfredsson?

Sens GM Murray: Alfredsson conversation ‘devastating, disappointing’

Alfredsson expects anger from Sens fans, ‘as there definitely should be’