First he won our hearts. Then he broke them. And now everything has been mended.

Thursday night the "Welcome Home, Alfie" celebration was completed when Daniel Alfredsson received an honour he actually earned years ago.

The key to the city.

And, he used the key to open the door for a return to Ottawa.

The legendary former Senators' captain, who took one last twirl with the club in December after announcing his retirement, was asked by the Sun if he could see himself in a senior VP's role the same way Steve Yzerman did with Detroit before moving to Tampa and Alfredsson hasn't ruled out that possibility.

Before leaving for the Bolts to become the GM, Yzerman got a chance to look at all aspects of the Detroit organization -- including the GM's role, scouting, player development and coaching. It helped groom him for what he's doing now.

"Maybe that would be the way to start if you go that route," said Alfredsson. "I'm not naive enough to think I can step into those positions full-time right away. Can I help out in those areas? Of course I can with my experience.

"I think that would be the way to go for both parties. Going forward, that might be better what I'm suited for. If I go that route, that's probably the way to go."

Senators GM Bryan Murray told the Sun he and owner Eugene Melnyk have talked about the possibility of adding Alfredsson to the front-office, but they want to give him his space and time to make a decision.

"He wanted a year or so away and I think that's important for him, but it's certainly something Eugene and I have discussed if (Alfredsson) wants to do it," said Murray, who was on hand for the ceremony with captain Erik Karlsson, Chris Phillips, Chris Neil, Erik Condra and Zack Smith.

Alfredsson is wrestling with what's next and he'll make a decision in the summer on whether he'll return to Sweden, stay in Detroit or move back to Ottawa. Right now, pretty much the only exposure he has to coaching hockey is working as assistant with sons Hugo and Loui in minor-hockey.

"This is not going to sell a lot of papers," Alfredsson said of his life away from the game. "It's been drastically different than being an NHL player. It's been fun. Helping the kids with homework more than I ever have.

"It's one thing to be a good hockey player, but to teach it is a different thing, but I'm learning. I can see things and I say, 'You should do this and this' and I'm not very good at articulating that to a three-year-old. I'm starting to get that and when I see the results it's a lot of fun."

Alfredsson said he's watched more hockey -- mostly the Senators and the Wings -- in the last few weeks because he felt like he "really just wanted to step away," but he admits his future is in the game in some way shape or form.

"It's always going to be big a big part of my life. It very much could be (next). It's my education. That's what I have. I don't have much besides that," Alfredsson said. "It's going to be something that I'm involved with somehow. I'm enjoying my time with the kids I'm coaching right now.

"If I'm going to do something in a full-time job I want to do it 100%. I don't know if right now is the right time with the stage the kids are at. That's the way I feel."

When they played the highlight video of his career at city hall, there was fleeting moment there when Alfredsson noted "you get that itch again."

Then, it disappeared.

"There's been days where I'm a little grumpy. It's just a different routine because you're missing something sometimes," Alfredsson said. "Overall, I would have loved to play this year, but I knew it was the right decision health-wise.

"Mentally, I wasn't mad that I couldn't play. Put it that way."

Getting the key to the city from deputy mayor Bob Monette -- who stood in for Mayor Jim Watson, who is out with a broken pelvis on the injury-reserve for 4-to-6 weeks -- meant a lot to Alfredsson.

"It's humbling. There's no question. It's nice to be recognized not only for what I did off the ice but what I did off the ice as well. It's important to me," Alfredsson said.

You get the sense Alfredsson will be back.

Twitter: @sungarrioch