TORONTO (AP) — Daniel Alfredsson, once public enemy No. 1 in Toronto as captain of the Ottawa Senators, is leaving Canada’s capital to join the Maple Leafs as an associate coach.
The Maple Leafs announced the move Tuesday, saying John Gruden and Brad Werenka also are joining coach Jim Hiller’s staff as assistants.
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Alfredsson, 53, spent the last three seasons as an assistant in Ottawa after a Hall of Fame playing career spent mostly with the Senators.
The Swedish winger was a prominent figure in the “Battle of Ontario” between the Maple Leafs and Senators, which included four playoff showdowns between 2000 and 2004.
Senators owner Michael Andlauer in a statement said that while he wished Alfredsson were not joining a rival organization, the door would always be open for a return.
The Maple Leafs announced that assistant coaches Mike Van Ryn and Derek Lalonde would not return.
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