When the long weekend finally wrapped up for Daniel Alfredsson, he acknowledged being more than a little uncomfortable with all the attention showered directly on him.

“From a selfish point of view, it’s going to rank really high,” he said, when asked where the all-star festivities will weigh among his career highlights. “It’s just a whole ego weekend, pretty much.”

Alfredsson did try, however, to share the spotlight with as many people as possible.

What he felt most satisfied about was being able to have three fellow Senators – Jason Spezza, Erik Karlsson and Milan Michalek – play in the All-Star Game with him. A fifth Senator, Colin Greening, also took part in Saturday’s skills competition.

He says he has been allowed to have a “second wind” to his career thanks to the efforts of his teammates.

“It has been great to share this with Jason, Milan and Eric, too,” he said. “The way this year has developed for us has been really good. These guys have really led the way for us as a team this year and we’ve surprised everybody pretty much.”

Alfredsson began to sound like a broken record in repeating how special it is to play in an All-Star Game on home ice. Sunday’s game also allowed him to fulfill a long-time dream of playing together with Henrik and Daniel Sedin, the Vancouver Canucks’ twins who have always had an innate ability to create scoring opportunities.

“We always joke that when we play against them, they have some language that’s almost alien,” Alfredsson joked. “They understand each other and do things (no one else can). We’ve joked that you just have to get the frequency and then you can understand the language, but nobody has figured it out. If you can think the game a little bit, they are so good at anticipating, in knowing what’s going to happen before they get the puck, and that’s what makes them so good. I definitely benefitted from that (Sunday) and it was fun.”

Alfredsson’s first goal was largely an individual effort. The second one, 1:31 later, was effectively a tap-in following a tic-tac-toe passing play involving the twins.

While Alfredsson was the star of the weekend, he desperately tried to make the point that the city of Ottawa was the true winner.

“They put us on a pedestal pretty much the whole weekend and we tried to give back,” he said. “This is a great sports city and we get so much focus because hockey is basically it, especially right now.”

Spezza hit the scoresheet, scoring a goal and an assist, and Michalek also registered a goal following a pretty set up from John Tavares of the New York Islanders. Interestingly enough, in a wide open style of game that should have fit his style perfectly, Karlsson was held off the scoresheet.

In the big picture, though, the players said registering goals and assists was really insignificant.

“For us to have this weekend at home is extremely special,” said Spezza. “Our fans have really been behind us and have been phenomenal this year. The city, the way they’ve embraced it. Just talking to guys in the dressing room, everybody’s had such a good time. Everybody’s received such a warm welcome. The fans are genuinely thrilled to have everyone around.”

Spezza says the weekend will stick with him forever.

“You’re never going to get that opportunity again. It doesn’t matter how long you play. It has been a special weekend and I’ve tried to soak in as much as possible.”

Michalek, the soft-spoken one of the bunch, was wearing a wide smile throughout the weekend.

“It was a great experience for me,” said Michalek, who was playing in his first All-Star Game. “The city put up a great show and everything was great. I will remember this for the rest of my life.”

During the game, bars across the city were dead.

“I’m disappointed in the turnout tonight,” said Dave McGuire, the manager of the Heart and Crown in the Byward Market. “Since the rest of the weekend was so busy, I expected more people.”

The crowd at the Heart and Crown consisted of about a dozen people. Other bars across the city had the same sized audience.

Josh Robertson is an avid hockey fan that was looking forward to going out on the town to watch the All-Star game. He made it to the bar an hour before the game to ensure he could grab a place to sit. But it was a precaution that would prove to be unnecessary.

“I expected the place to be packed,” says Robertson, who went to St. Louis Bar and Grill on Elgin Street. There were still several tables available halfway through the game.

Robertson speculates that the reason behind the sparse crowds at local bars is because of the nature of the All-Star game itself.

“It’s not a competitive game that players set out to win. It’s strictly about the entertainment,” says Robertson. “I approach it the same way. I don’t really care what side wins.”

He says that because fans don’t necessarily have to choose a side, they aren’t going to care about the outcome of the game, and won’t bother watching it outside the comfort of their own homes.

Chase Beaulieu, the manager of Pub 101 in the Byward Market, believes the quiet crowd is a result of a variety of factors.

“There are thousands already at the game,” he says. “Plus it’s scheduled at 4:00 on a Sunday, so it’s often harder for people to take out that much time in the afternoon.”

McGuire also says the crowds that were around all weekend have dispersed since the Fan Fair at the Ottawa Convention Centre closed on Saturday.

But just because bars were quiet during the game, doesn’t mean it was like that all weekend.

The Byward Market was busier than it usually is on an average weekend, thanks to all of the NHL players and television celebrities making appearances throughout the weekend, says McGuire.

There were several parties held at different bars around the Market over the four-day hockey extravaganza, which brought lots of players to the area.

“It made the entire market busier,” says Beaulieu. “The weekend was a big help for local businesses.”

For Robertson, it didn’t make a difference whether the bar where he was watching the game was packed or not. He just enjoyed watching the game.

“It’s interesting because it’s more about showing off skill, as opposed to the physical play,” says Robertson. “You get to see some really nice plays that don’t happen during regular games. It’s fun.”

When Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price spoke to the NHL Network’s Brian Duff during the first intermission, truer words may never have been said.

“I feel like a lamb getting led to slaughter right now,” said Price. “I just want to hold on four the ride and hope I don’t get lid up too much.”

Price didn’t fare too badly, all things considered. He allowed three goals on 15 shots. Jimmy Howard also stopped 12 of 15.. Henrik Lundqvist allowed his three on a dozen shots. Jonathan Quick yielded three on 13 and Tim Thomas, who picked up the victory and ended up robbing Daniel Alfredsson of most valuable player honours, ended up with 18 saves on 21 shots.

But poor Brian Elliott. The former Senators netminder, who has become an All-Star under the stifling defensive system employed by St.Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, gave up six goals on the 21 shots he faced in the third period, picking up the loss.

All this after he was made to feel so welcome in his return home. He was given the exact same locker staal he owned when he played with the Senators, the spot usually reserved for Ottawa’s number one goaltender.

“Yeah, it’s a little weird,” acknowledged Elliott. “I spent a few years here, so it is a little different. Scotty and Cookie (Senators equipment managers Scott Allegrino and Chris Cook) made me feel right at home when I came in. I was laughing that I was in the same spot, so I think they planned that one.”

BEST GOAL OF THE NIGHT

There were countless pretty passing plays, but Marian Hossa’s backhand goal, which he flipped between Erik Karlsson’s legs and over Elliott’s shoulder in the third period, was as skillful as they come.

ALL-STAR RARITIES

The penalty shot awarded to Tampa Bay’s Steve Stamkos in the first period – his spinerama effort was stopped by Howard – was the second ever awarded in an All-Star Game…Philadelphia’s Scott Hartnell was actually credited with a hit…When Toronto’s Phil Kessel beat Elliott to the shortside early in the third period and was receiving loud boos from the anti-Leafs fans in the crowd, Phoenix defenceman Keith Yandle gave him a shot with his elbow behind the net.

BIG NUMBERS FOR A BIG PLAYER

Zdeno Chara may have only registered one point – a third period goal – but he finished the night with a rather remarkable plus 7 in the plus/minus department. Defence partner Brian Campbell was also a plus 7. On the other side of the ledger, the Senators’ Milan Michalek and Yandle sported a minus 5.

SLEWIDGE COMES UP BIG

The crowd gave polite applause to Outasight, the guy with the sunglasses who sang during the pre-game introductions. When Drake performed between the second intermission, two dozen players came out on the ice to watch him, snapping pictures from their iphones.Yet perhaps the most impressive singing was delivered by Lyndon Slewidge, who delivered an outstanding performance in belting out ‘O Canada’ with the support of the Governor General’s foot guards behind him.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE RINK

Reporter One, as Drake was performing: “I don’t get rap”. Reporter Two: “I don’t think that’s rap. It’s hip-hop.” Reporter One: “Okay, I don’t get hip-hop.”

NO, YOU WEREN’T SEEING DOUBLE

Rather than forcing some younger players to yield to seniority and change their numbers, all of the All-Stars were allowed to wear their familiar digits. It meant that Team Chara had two number 10′s (Marian Gaborik, Corey Perry), two number 14′s (Jamie Benn, Jordan Eberle), two number 19′s (Joffrey Lupul, Tyler Seguin) and two 81′s (Marian Hossa and Phil Kessel. Team Alfredsson had two 19′s (Spezza and Scott Hartnell) and two 91′s (Steve Stamkos and John Tavares). If the event is all about selling the game’s star players, it makes little sense for a player to wear an unfamiliar number. (Hard to believe now, but Daniel Alfredsson once wore number 15 in an All-Star Game and that’s just wrong.). Yet there were some cases of mistaken identity. Hartnell was announced in the starting lineup, instead of Spezza.

NO OFFSIDE, NO ICING…NO RULES

The officials kept the flow going, as much as possible. So much so, that when a player on the Team Alfredsson bench stuck out his stick to stop the puck from going inside the blueline – no one took credit – there was no whistle.

A SENSE OF HUMOUR IS A WONDERFUL THING

Good on the Bruins’ Seguin to suggest he play on a line with Kessel and Joffrey Lupul of the Maple Leafs. “Just put us together, let everyone have a story,” he said on the eve of the game. Team Chara coach Claude Julien, or whoever had the final say on line combinations, bought in. The back story, of course, is that Kessel was traded to Toronto from Boston for the second overall selection in the 2010 entry draft, the pick that the Bruins used to select Seguin. Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke has never heard the end of that trade. Kessel (two goals and an assist) and Lupul (two goals) had big games.

LEST WE FORGET

Hossa’s skate blade carries the number 38 and a small picture of former Senator Pavol Demitra. Demitra was among those killed in the plane crash involving Lokomotiv of the Kontinental Hockey League in September.

CARRYING THE BIG STICK

Upon further examination, Corey Perry’s goal in the breakaway competition Saturday was even cooler than at first glance. In case you missed it, Perry pulled a mini-stick out of his hockey pants and deked Elliott. Turns out it was a goalie mini-stick.

NOTHING AGAINST ZENON KONOPKA BUT

How would you like to have Tavares of the New York Islanders as your regular, everyday fourth line centre? In an indication of just how skilled the All-Star lineups were Sunday, Tavares lined up there to start the game Sunday, with James Neal and Jason Pominville on his wings. That trio has combined for 64 goals and 79 assists this season….Team Chara’s fourth line consisted of Patrick (Superman) Kane, Eberle and Jamie Benn. They’ve scored 42 goals and 86 assists.

SPEAKING OF NUMBERS

The players on Team Alfredsson have combined for 2,286 NHL goals and 6,164 career NHL points. Team Chara checked in with 2,850 goals and 7,394 points. There’s a reason why they’re all All-Stars.

At the close of a week that has celebrated Daniel Alfredsson’s 16-year Ottawa career, the venerable Senators captain did not disappoint, scoring twice, including a gorgeous solo effort that had coaches and players on both sides stopping to applaud mid-game. As Alfredsson stood at the faceoff circle, unable to contain his grin, fellow Swedes Henrik and Daniel Sedin tapped their hockey sticks in tribute, as the familiar ‘Beautiful Day,’ Alfredsson’s U2 goal song, filled Scotiabank Place.

Afterward, Alfredsson termed the week-long adoration from fans and fellow players “almost overwhelming.”

Beautiful Day it was, to cap a terrific week for the all-star festival in the Nation’s Capital. As it did when the 2009 World Junior Championships took over the city and region, Ottawa at large demonstrated a capacity for staging the large event.

“The whole weekend has been beyond what I expected as far as the amount of electricity in the air,” said Senators owner Eugene Melnyk. “The people stepped up and really became ambassadors for the city of Ottawa.”

And if the weather didn’t always co-operate, limiting some of the events planned for the Rideau Canal, organizers and revelers adapted and made the best of it. Melnyk himself kept his skates on the sidelines.

“I had my skates sharpened just before I got on the plane,” said Melnyk, laughing. “I was looking forward to spending a lot of time on the ice and it just didn’t happen.”

It happened elsewhere this week, though, happened on the streets and in the bars and hotel lobbies.

Especially, it happened at Fan Fair, where the crush of people was so enormous on Saturday afternoon, potential attendees would have demolished Convention Centre fire regulations had they all been allowed in.

As it was, fans made like sardines inside the building, grinding through the masses to find hockey heroes and hockey souvenirs. As if his ego needed a boost, retired forward Jeremy Roenick received the rock star treatment and even ex-Senator Tom Chorske was mobbed.

Kids walked out of the building armed with autographs on programs, hockey cards, jerseys and even the plaster casts of injured minor hockey players.

Between Thursday and Saturday, nearly 30,000 people attended Fan Fair at the new Convention Centre, where so many NHL all stars and former players were milling around it was all but impossible not to meet and greet a hero of some degree.

All access all the time, might have been the theme. To an unprecedented degree, players were available to fans and media off the ice and via miked-up situations during the fantasy pool draft, skills competition and Sunday’s game.

Who didn’t enjoy hearing Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price chirp fellow goalie Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings for a casual effort during the fastest skater competition.

“Did you get your heart rate over 80?” Price asked Howard.

“It’s for the fans, everything we do the whole week is for the fans to enjoy,” said Toronto Maple Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul, who endured the heat of a few boorish fans during Thursday’s fantasy draft.

“It’s about more than the game,” Lupul said. “Being miked during a game shows fans another side of the guys.”

The week was a success from all perspectives.

“Whether it was at the rink or in the city, you could feel the atmosphere,” said Marian Hossa of the Chicago Blackhawks, warmly received by his former teammates and fans in Ottawa. “It was well organized and we had so much fun. When I found out the game was here, I was looking forward to it because it’s not just another game, but a special place to come.”

His fellow Senators on Team Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, Erik Karlsson and Milan Michalek, were honoured to bring the world to Ottawa at the same time as sharing Alfredsson with the world. Having played in this city, Senators understand the privilege, Spezza said, but by having most of the greatest players in the game here is “a thank you to a great hockey city.”

Nobody felt more special than Alfredsson, who said he may have to wait until his four kids were tucked into bed before he could put what he called a “surreal” personal experience into perspective.

“You don’t dream of anything like this,” Alfredsson said. “You don’t know how to embrace it, really.”

Melnyk said he will be thrilled if Alfredsson embraces it by doing what he does best – playing the game in this town for at least one more season.

“We are looking,” Melnyk said, “at a living legend.”

As they departed SBP on a feel-good Sunday, hockey fans agreed.

And it almost did happen, as his teammates kept feeding him the puck in the final few minutes, hoping that he’d get a hat trick in what might be his final All-Star Game.

But in the end, Zdeno Chara’s handpicked team of all-stars beat Alfredsson’s 12-9, and Marian Gaborik’s three goals and one assist topped Alfredsson’s two goals and one assist.

So the most valuable player award went to a Slovak, not Ottawa’s favourite Swede.

It was a small blemish, though, on a fun afternoon.

As much as the weekend celebrated the NHL’s stars, it also celebrated Alfredsson.

It’s not that anyone wants to push him out the door, but Sunday’s all-star game might have been his last, and this was a time to applaud what he has done in his 15-year career.

You could see it, said teammate Jason Spezza, in the respect shown Alfredsson by his all-star teammates, the way they kept trying to set up his third goal.

“Hockey’s a very respectful game, and guys really respect what Alfie has done in his career,” said Spezza.

“This is an amazing weekend to be a part of, and it’s great to see the accolades.

“As a teammate, we appreciate him and we understand what he’s done in our locker room, but for him to be on the national stage and to get the recognition he deserves, it’s something we really enjoyed seeing.”

To which Erik Karlsson said: “Well said.”

The game was tied 6-6 after two periods before Chara’s team took it over in the third.

In addition to Gaborik, Joffrey Lupul had two goals for Team Chara, while Zdeno Chara himself, Corey Perry, Marian Hossa, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Jerome Iginla, and Patrick Kane had one each.

Spezza, Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, John Tavares, Jason Pominville, Milan Michalek, and Claude Giroux scored for Team Alfredsson.

An emotionally spent Alfredsson said the weekend will rank high in the many memories he has from his career, but it was hard to touch the ground. He felt a bit like he was on Cloud 9. The weekend felt surreal.

“You can never dream up anything like this,” he said.

“And you don’t really know how to embrace it, either. Tonight, after the kids go to bed, you can sit and relax, and I’m sure I’ll be dead tired.

“But (it’s difficult to take it all in) and realize that this is something that not everybody gets a chance to experience. I don’t know if I deserve it or not, but it’s definitely humbling.”

All three goalies on Team Chara — Tim Thomas, Carey Price, and Jimmy Howard — gave up three goals each.

Team Alfredsson’s first two goalies — Henrik Lundqvist and Jonathan Quick — each gave up three.

But the third, former Senator and present St. Louis goalie Brian Elliott, had luck that was just as bad as when he played here in an Ottawa uniform.

He gave up six goals on 19 shots and took the loss.

But Elliott received a warm reception from Ottawa fans, which he appreciated, and had a fun weekend.

“I wasn’t really expecting anything, but they were really nice, really supportive,” he said.

“It’s a little weird coming back here, but it was fun. We’ll be back here in about a week (Feb. 7) with different things on my mind.”

The beauty of the all-star game is that it gets you dreaming about a world without a salary cap, and what it would be like to have a line like Gaborik ($7.5 million), Marian Hossa ($5.275 million), and Pavel Datsyuk ($6.7 million). It was the force behind Team Chara.

Hossa had a goal and two assists and Datsyuk had three assists to give that line a 10-point night.

“Marian and I have played together at the international level, and Pavel here’s one of the best,” said Gaborik.

“Just pure talent, he’s got it all.”

The combined total of 21 goals made the game the fourth highest-scoring game in NHL history, and 30 of the 36 position players — 15 of the 18 on each team – had at least one point.

Milan Michalek and Spezza each had a goal and an assist.

Karlsson was the only Senator who didn’t have a point.

“I’m saving it for the games,” he said.

All-Star Game

FIRST PERIOD

1. 4:34 — Marian Gaborik scores on a give-and-go, beating teammate Henrik Lundqvist to open the scoring. Gaborik tops it off with the ‘sniper shot’ celebration that fellow Ranger Artem Anisimov immortalized on the HBO 24/7 series. 1-0 Chara.

2. 5:38 — Team Chara goes up 2-0 after Evgeni Malkin roofs an impossible-angle shot over Lundqvist’s shoulder.

3. 10:09 — Gaborik finds the back of the net again, one-timing a pass from Marian Hossa into the top corner to make it 3-0 for Team Chara.

4. 10:36 — Team Aflredsson finally hits the board as Milan Michalek drops a pass to Dan Girardi, who takes a shot that’s tipped in by Jason Spezza. Detroit’s Jimmy Howard allows his first goal.

5. 12:51 — Scott Hartnell finds Henrik Sedin in front to bring Team Alfredsson back to within one.

6. 13:49 — Team Alfredsson knots it up 3-3 after John Tavares picks up a loose puck behind the net and buries it behind Howard.

SECOND PERIOD

7. 1:23 — A goalie change can’t stop Marian Gaborik as he completes the hat trick early in the second period. Los Angeles keeper Jonathan Quick is the victim this time around.

8. 3:33 — Team Chara takes another two-goal lead (5-3) as Phil Kessel sets up fellow Leaf Joffrey Lupul on a two-on-one. We’ve seen that one around these parts before.

9. 7:17 — Team Alfredsson keeps it close as Jason Pominville completes a tic-tac-toe play. It’s the first goal allowed by Montreal netminder Carey Price on the afternoon.

10. 14:33 — Daniel Alfredsson (of team Alfredsson…makes sense), splits the defence to notch his first goal of the game on a breakaway to make it 5-5.

11. 16:04 — Alfredsson gives his team its first lead of the game, wrapping up a tidy tic-tac-toe goal that involved both Sedin brothers. Tre Kronor.

12. 18:24 — Patrick Kane has the front of the net to himself and uses the opportunity to bash one past Quick. Team Chara pulls even.

THIRD PERIOD

13. 4:12 — Phil Kessel’s shot beats former Senators goaltender Brian Elliott over the shoulder to kick things off in the third period. Team Chara goes up again, 7-6.

14. 5:21 — Milan Michalek becomes the third Senator to score in the game after a nice set-up by John Tavares. Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas allows his first. Tie game.

15. 7:45 — Evgeni Malkin sends a cross-crease pass to Jarome Iginla, who has an easy tap-in past Elliott. Team Chara leads once more.

16. 9:40 — Tim Thomas tries to keep the play going, but throws the puck right onto Scott Hartnell’s stick. He pays the gift forward to Claude Giroux for the easy goal into an empty cage. Another tie.

17. 12:04 — Another former Senator, Marian Hossa, notches one. He spins and uses Erik Karlsson as a screen before lifting a backhander past Elliott.

18. 12:20 — Did we mention there are some former Senators in this game? Zdeno Chara puts his namesake team up 10-8 with a weak floater that beats Elliott.

19. 13:26 — Is it bad form to pull a goalie in an all-star game? Corey Perry dekes and beats Elliott again.

20. 14:20 — The Sedin twins come right back and make it 11-9 with a two-on-one goal. Th scoresheet says Daniel finished the play, but really, who can tell the difference?

21. 15:33 — Joffrey Lupul rounds out the scoring as he buries a one-timer from the side of the net. Mercifully, it ends with the score 12-9 for Team Chara.

Around Town has attended its share of shindigs, but none that offered mechanical bull rides. Partygoers wearing hockey jerseys, business suits and even leather pants channeled their inner Calgarian cowboy and cowgirl while hanging on for dear life.

The evening paid tribute to all seven of our country’s NHL cities while going big on entertainment, food and drinks (it helped that Molson Canadian was the sponsor).

Partygoers whooped it up in the Calgary saloon while the Toronto room was decidedly more cosmopolitan with its Bay Street stockbrokers buying and selling shares near the replica CN Tower.

Guests were also seen chowing down on chicken Shepherd’s pie at the Winnipeg station and ordering up drinks at the Edmonton-themed bar with oil rig scenery. In the wintry Vancouver corner, guests indulged in shrimp cocktails while watching an ice-sculpting demonstration. Parliament Hill appeared in the form of the main stage backdrop.

The late-night party (it started after the All-Star skills competition and continued into the wee hours) had something for everyone, including free neck and shoulder massages.

Ottawa Senators president Cyril Leeder was seen with his wife, Lydia, and their daughter, Ciera, snacking on smoked meats on rye, served in the Montreal area. Nearby were various performers from Cirque Fantastic.

“I think it’s pretty spectacular,” said Leeder of the party. “It’s very un-Ottawa. We need a little bit of that now and then.”

Also seen were NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, Mayor Jim Watson and Canadian Olympic Committee president and former Nordiques owner Marcel Aubut.