Proud Swede Alfredsson loses bet, must don Canada jersey

Jan 6, 2009 - 6:07 AM By Bill Bernardi PA SportsTicker Staff Writer

Daniel Alfredsson certainly loves gold.

The captain of the Ottawa Senators, Alfredsson relishes the gold medal he won with his native Sweden in the 2006 Olympic Games.

The years that followed, however, haven't been as kind.

For two straight years, the proud Swede predicted that his countrymen would best Canada and emerge victorious in the World Junior Championship.

For two straight years, Alfredsson has been proven wrong.

On Monday, Cody Hodgson recorded two goals as Canada claimed its fifth consecutive title in the World Junior Championship with a 5-1 triumph over Sweden in front of a tournament-record crowd of 20,380.

The previous year, Canada notched a 3-2 overtime victory over Sweden in the gold-medal game held in the Czech Republic.

"I have to go with my heart," Alfredsson told The Ottawa Citizen, moments before predicting a 4-2 victory for Sweden in Monday's gold-medal game.

The 36-year-old Alfredsson's punishment in both instances?

According to the rules of the wager with Senators owner and World Junior Championship organizing committee chair Eugene Melnyk, the losing party must don the winning country's jersey at Ottawa's next home practice.

A man of his word, Alfredsson proudly wore a white Canada jersey last season - and took some good-natured ribbing from his teammates at the time.

One calendar year later, the proud Swede can expect more of the same.