However, the game is notable for a major achievement. Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson will be playing his 1,000th NHL game in Florida tonight. In any sport, Alfredsson's 1,000th game is a tremendous achievement, but playing for the same team in this day and age of salary caps and free agency, Alfredsson's loyalty to his team, the Ottawa Senators, considering some of the lean years that he spent with the team, is not just a milestone, but a show of faith, commitment, and true willingness to stand with one team.
Furthermore, when we celebrate Alfredsson's time with the Ottawa Senators, we shouldn't just celebrate the hockey player, we should also celebrate the man. His accomplishments on the ice are certainly well documented and he deserves the tributes that he'll receive, but his off-ice achievements in the Ottawa community are equally as great.
Oh, and those tributes? He won't receive his accolades from the home-town fans until Ottawa returns home to play the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night. But you can be sure that it'll be an emotional night.