Daniel Alfredsson joins Sweden for hockey worlds
Senators forward will decide over summer if he has energy, motivation for 17th NHL season
Daniel Alfredsson's season isn't over just yet.
The veteran Ottawa Senators captain has committed to playing for Sweden at the world hockey championship, according to the International Ice Hockey Federation.
It will be Alfredsson's first trip to the world championship since 2005.
The tournament is being co-hosted by Sweden and Finland and will give the 39-year-old Alfredsson a chance to play on home ice. Sweden opens the event on Friday against Norway at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm.
Canada will play its round robin games in Helsinki and won't meetthe Swedes until at least the semifinals.
The NHL season wrapped up for Alfredsson last week when the Senators were eliminated by the New York Rangers in Game 7 of their first-round series.
Alfredsson hasn't yet committed to returning for a 17th year with Ottawa next fall. He'll make that decision over the summer.
"It's been a great year, but it's been a long year physically and mentally," Alfredsson said over the weekend. "[I need to decide if] I have the energy and motivation to get ready for another year because I know I just can't take the summer off and come to camp and hope I will do well.
"If I want to play I want to play at as high level as I can and that means you have to go through a summer of hard workouts and getting ready to play a full season."