Alfredsson switches sides in Battle of Ontario

Daniel Alfredsson will face the Ottawa Senators from the Toronto Maple Leafs bench on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Scotiabank Arena. The game begins at 7 p.m. ET and opens Ottawa's regular season.

Alfredsson joined Toronto as an associate coach this off-season after three seasons as a Senators assistant. The Maple Leafs' announcement placed him on head coach Jim Hiller's staff.

Ahead of the game, Alfredsson told reporters he had recently met Maple Leafs alumni at a golf tournament and still kept in touch with colleagues in Ottawa. He said the move offered a chance to develop as a coach, Sportsnet reported.

"If I want to be a coach, you've got to experience different situations and different scenarios, different systems, and that's kind of where it went in my head. How can I evolve and get better as a coach if this is the road I'm going down?" he said.

He also acknowledged the adjustment to coaching against his former team in the Battle of Ontario.

"It’s different, no question, being on the other side," he said. "We wish them the best and wish us a little bit better."