PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Daniel Alfredsson was a real hard worker during his time in the NHL.
And he had his tricks to get that little extra out on the ice.
– Sometimes you have to trick your brain, says “Alfie” to The Athletic.
Daniel Alfredsson is one of the most iconic players we have seen in Swedish ice hockey. As a 20-year-old, the forward from Gothenburg made his debut in the then Elitserien, after he left the division 2 club HC Mölndal for Frölunda. The breakthrough came the following year, when “Alfie” accounted for 20 goals and 10 assists in 39 games.
The icon Alfredsson
Before the 1995-1996 season, the transfer load went across the Atlantic and to the Ottawa Senators, and already in the first season it was a great success since he scored 26 goals and 35 assists and with that he was named the league’s best newcomer.
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With his hard work and with all his points, Daniel Alfredsson grew into a great legend within the Ottawa Senators. He had the honor of being captain for several seasons, and now Alfredsson’s shirt hangs from the ceiling in the club’s home arena.
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A great recipe for success for Alfredsson was the special trick he used when he felt fatigue creeping into his body.
– I think I’ve always been good at dealing with pain. But if I have any supernatural powers? Of course not, says Alfredsson to The Athletic.
“Must trick the brain”
To get through the tough situations during a match, Alfredsson could sometimes think that his children were in danger and that they needed to be rescued. Therefore, he created a fictional scenario inside his head, such as his children were drowning, where their only salvation depended on how fast he could skate on the ice.
– Pain is just a signal to the brain that something is wrong. So sometimes you have to trick your brain, says Alfredsson.
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Alfredsson says that he learned it by watching his father.
– I have seen my father struggle through pain, so through that I have gained a very great respect for pain in particular.
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