GARRIOCH: John Ferguson Sr. would be proud of Daniel Alfredsson’s HHOF selection
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“I know this, he wouldn’t be thinking about himself, he’d be happy the right decision was made and he’d be happy for Alfie.”
John Ferguson Sr. is pictured in 1992. Photo by Rod MacIvor /Postmedia Article content
Somewhere up there, the late John Ferguson Sr. is wearing a wide smile and raising a toast to Daniel Alfredsson on his election to the Hockey Hall of Fame Monday.
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Ferguson Sr. had an eye for talent, and he suspected Alfredsson may be a good one when he spotted him playing overseas.
A lot of the former Ottawa Senators captain’s success happened because Ferguson Sr., then the Senators’ director of player personnel, insisted the club take a chance with its sixth-round pick (No. 133 overall) at the 1994 NHL entry draft in Hartford. The Senators had already selected Radek Bonk and Stan Neckar, so there was an argument at the table about taking another European.
Ferguson Sr., who always let his feelings be known, wasn’t going to be denied and convinced then-GM Randy Sexton to green light the selection. It paid off in a big way.
“I know this, he wouldn’t be thinking about himself, he’d be happy the right decision was made and he’d be happy for Alfie,” said Arizona Coyotes assistant GM John Ferguson Jr., the son of the legendary former Habs player, Monday afternoon from his home in Rhode Island.
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“(Ferguson Sr.) saw something special in Alfredsson and he felt that way for a long time. The pick, itself, paid dividends in a hurry and became an out-of-the park home run not too long after. He’d give Alfie credit for what he did as a player and a competitor who continued to improve every year.”
At the time, Alfredsson, 21, was a forward with Vastra Frolunda HC and wasn’t on anybody’s radar screen. Ferguson Sr. was tipped off by one of the club’s part-time scouts overseas — Lasse Lilja — he needed to get to Goteborg to see this guy.
Ferguson Sr. loved what he saw in Alfredsson. Not only did he have strong skills that were suitable for the NHL, he was willing to play a hard-nosed style to go get the puck in difficult situations. Ferguson Sr. liked Alfredsson so much, he went to see him twice to be certain.
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The second time he took then-assistant GM Jim Nill to make sure that Alfredsson was the real deal and could make the adjustment to play at this level.
Daniel Alfredsson, seen in an April 2010 game, produced a Hall of Fame career after John Ferguson Sr. insisted the Senators take him in the sixth round of the 1994 NHL draft. Photo by Wayne Cuddington /Postmedia
“There’s very few unanimous picks late in the draft for anyone,” Ferguson Jr. said. “It’s up to the management to make the call and to trust the input of those entrusted to make those kinds of recommendations.
“Alfie was a little bit off the radar, he hadn’t made his mark yet with the national team program in Sweden. To me, it represents the experience, the depth, the knowledge and the confidence of how to approach the draft. It’s easy to say now, ‘Well, if they were that sure about him, they should have taken him earlier.’
“That’s a fair comment, but that being said, it’s easy to say if they guy is sliding then we don’t have to take him here, either. At some point, you’ve got to step up to make the call. To look back at it, it should have been a no-brainer. In his mind it certainly was, but that’s genius in those kinds of picks. Is there some luck? Of course there is.”
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The reason Alfredsson was such a great player was his ability to step up with big goals at big times. His 400th career goal on Dec. 30, 2011 versus the Calgary Flames was an OT winner. It was no coincidence he scored the OT winner in 2007 in Game 5 versus Buffalo to send Ottawa to the Stanley Cup final.
Ferguson Jr. always felt he belonged in the Hall of Fame and is surprised it took five years for him to get in. But he also understands the difficulty of making the selections and the process the committee has to go through.
“He competed with a level of determination, dedication and voracity that drives all great players. If you could figure out a way to measure that intangible, you’d never miss,” Ferguson Jr said. “His Hockey IQ was always off the charts. That, combined with his drive and his determination to be a difference-maker at both ends of the ice every night, were special qualities.”
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I’ve told this story before, but I never like people to forget what John Ferguson Sr. meant to this organization and how much he loved his time here in the early days.
I called him the draft floor at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus and his lovely wife, Joan, came on the line to say “Fergie” had been watching the proceedings and wanted the latest scoops.
While Ferguson Sr. was in the late stages of his battle with cancer in 2007, his voice, weakened by the disease, came on the line from his Windsor home with one final request to a reporter.
“Do me a favour,” Ferguson Sr. told me that night. “Don’t ever let people forget I got (the Senators) Daniel Alfredsson.”
On the night he’s inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, everyone will remember Alfredsson’s 17 wonderful years with the Senators.
And you can bet John Ferguson Sr. will be wearing a smile.
BGarrioch@postmedia.com
Twitter: @sungarrioch
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