GARDEN CITY, N.Y.

Daniel Alfredsson will likely wear the No. 11 one last time before hanging up his skates for good.

While the plans are being finalized and nothing is written in stone, league sources confirmed to the Sun Monday the plan is for the 41-year-old Alfredsson to skate in the warmup Thursday.

That means when the Senators take the ice in their final skate before facing the New York Islanders at the Canadian Tire Centre, the former Senators' captain will be with his old teammates.

Since a player who isn't signed to a contract isn't allowed in the warmup, it's believed the Senators had to get special permission from the NHL office in New York, but it was no problem.

No wonder Senators owner Eugene Melnyk tweeted Monday he's been in touch with Alfredsson and advised Ottawa hockey fans to be in their seats long before the puck is dropped at 7:30 p.m.

"Spoke to Alfie to finalize what will be the biggest 'Welcome Home' celebration Ottawa has ever seen! Sens fans, plan to be at game early!," Melnyk said on Twitter Monday morning.

Returning from Detroit to announce his retirement, it's believed Alfredsson will sign a symbolic one-day contract with the organization so that he's able to retire as a member of the Senators.

Don't be surprised if Alfredsson, who will have his wife Bibi and four boys on hand, takes the ceremonial faceoff at centre ice with New York Islanders captain John Tavares just before the game.

This may sound far-fetched, but Alfredsson may have been offered the opportunity to sign and play one final shift with the team where it all started but the talk is he didn't have any interest.

Alfredsson is happy enough to just take part in the pre-game skate and get a chance to get a proper sendoff in the place where he spent the majority of his career before leaving for the Wings.

Though there was talk Monday that Melnyk's confirmatin tweet was the first time he and Alfredsson have spoken since he left for the Wings in July, 2013, that's not the case.

Melnyk and GM Bryan Murray have both stayed in touch with Alfredsson since he left the Senators. The indications are Melnyk and Alfredsson have spoken more than once since he left.

Though Alfredsson had planned to announce his retirement last Monday when the Senators were in Detroit, the decision was made that it would be better if he came here to say goodbye.

No, it wasn't pretty when Alfredsson left for the Wings as a UFA, but time has healed the wounds between the two sides and the relationship has been cordial for a long time.

For his part, Melnyk has been heavily-involved in the planning of Alfredsson's retirement night because the Senators want to make sure a man who did so much for them gets a proper sendoff.

Ottawa fans didn't like him walking out the door and taking the deal in Detroit. Neither did Melnyk and Murray, but both sides have great respect for each other, which is why all is forgotten.

The organization wants to make sure all of Alfredsson's wishes to make this a special night for him and his family are fulfilled in every way.

This ceremony and gesture by the Senators towards Alfredsson shows that what happened in the past has been forgotten and this will be one of the biggest nights in Ottawa sports history.

This is all taking place because Alfredsson reached out to Murray a couple of weeks ago to let him know his back wouldn't allow him to play and he was ready to announce he retiring.

Neither the Senators or Alfredsson wanted this announcement to take place anywhere else, which is why the "Coming Home" video was released once it was certain this would happen in Ottawa.

The fact Alfredsson will likey get to skate with the Senators is unique and memorable because the next time the No. 11 is seen it will be raised to the rafters at Canadian Tire Centre.

It will be a great night for a great man and his family.

Twitter: @sungarrioch