Daniel Alfredsson

It appears Daniel Alfredsson's career is over after 18 NHL seasons, the last of which was with the Red Wings.

(AP file photo)

TORONTO - Daniel Alfredsson's illustrious career appears to be coming to an official end soon.

The Detroit Red Wings have long suspected that the 41-year-old forward who's been experiencing back issues for years is finished, but they haven't heard it officially from Alfredsson or his representative.

Darren Dreger of TSN.ca is reporting that Alfredsson has decided not to play this season due to a lingering disc issue that has been continually aggravated by the wear and tear of game action.

Since the Ottawa Senators visit Joe Louis Arena on Monday, there is speculation that an official announcement could come then.

Alfredsson spent his first 17 seasons with the Senators, including 13 as captain, before an acrimonious split in 2013 prompted him to sign a one-year deal with the Red Wings.

Alfredsson played well in 2013-14, scoring 18 goals and tying for the team lead with 49 points.

He informed the Red Wings in June that he wanted to play another season but needed to make sure his back could hold up before making a commitment.

He skated for a few days before training camp before being forced to shut it down due to pain. A few weeks later, he skated for a couple of days but his condition apparently did not improve.

Alfredsson's agent, J.P. Barry, told the Red Wings earlier this week that it wasn't looking good for a comeback attempt.

Barry couldn't be reached for comment.

Alfredsson has 444 goals and 713 assists for a 1,157 points in 1,246 NHL games. He represented Sweden in five Olympics, winning the gold medal in 2006, but he never won the Stanley Cup.

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