Daniel Alfredsson bolts Senators for rival Maple Leafs to be associate coach

Daniel Alfredsson, once Public Enemy No. 1 in Toronto as captain of the Ottawa Senators, is leaving the nation's capital to join the Maple Leafs as an associate coach.

The Maple Leafs announced the move Tuesday, with John Gruden and Brad Werenka also joining Jim Hiller's staff as assistant coaches.

Alfredsson spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach in Ottawa after a Hall of Fame playing career spent mostly with the Senators.

He was a prominent figure in the "Battle of Ontario" between the Maple Leafs and Senators, which included four playoff showdowns between 2000 and 2004.

While Toronto won all four series, each was a physical battle, with Alfredsson's skill and tenacity often getting under the Maple Leafs' skin.

The 53-year-old Swede appeared in 1,246 regular-season NHL games with Ottawa and Detroit, registering 1,157 points (444 goals, 713 assists) and making six all-star appearances.

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Gruden, 56, arrives after leading the Toronto Marlies to a Calder Cup championship and has NHL assistant coaching experience with the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders.

Werenka, 57, most recently coached at the University of Calgary, helping the Dinos win the Canada West championship in 2023.

The Maple Leafs also announced assistant coaches Mike Van Ryn and Derek Lalonde will not return next season.