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In 1993, the NHL was marred for years by two Canadian giants, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. That summer, the idea is for the country’s next big star to enter the league.
Alexandre Daigle.
After playing all the opposition in the youth leagues, not just thanks to incredible speed, the Ottawa Senators selected him as one in the draft that summer. It featured players like Chris Pronger, Paul Kariya, Kenny Jönsson, and Saku Koivu, to name a few.
“No one remembers who is selected as second,” he said after the draft.
Daigle would prove to be wrong.
Although he would hardly avoid the spotlight.
Pamela Anderson rumored to date
Daigle started by signing a giant contract worth SEK 125 million over five years, prompting the NHL to introduce a ceiling to determine the high salary rookies in the league can earn.
He started well in the senators, but did not perform consistently. So it seemed that during his first three years in the league and over time people began to wonder if he really wanted to act. That Daigle said in previous interviews that he liked hockey better “because he was good at it” rather than his passion diluting the doubt.
– The boy never lived up to his potential because he refuses to use his main asset, speed. Neither team will want him because he is not interested in playing hockey, an NHL leader said anonymously, according to the Ottawa Hockey website.
Daigle left the senators for the Philadelphia Flyers and then went to the New York Rangers, but his career never really took off. In 2000, he took a break from hockey to try acting, “his true passion,” as described then. During his time in Hollywood, Daigle was rumored to be dating actress Pamela Anderson and artist Sheryl Crow.
He left the NHL as a failure
But life without hockey was not as wonderful as Daigle thought. In 2002, he decided to return and to demonstrate that he left life on the plane behind, he decided to sell his Porsche. The Pittsburgh penguins gave him the opportunity, but now they didn’t raise his career properly for Daigle either.
After a last try with the Minnesota Wild, Daigle left the NHL forever in 2006 after 616 games and 327 points.
He disappeared from the limelight in North America, but did not give up hockey. He traveled to Switzerland to play for HC Davos, where during his first season he showed tremendous talent and was the team scorer when they won gold.
But he couldn’t preserve the shape and with each passing year, the production of scores got worse and worse. His last season as a hockey player was 2009/10, where he represented a total of three teams in the Swiss league before thanking him.
So Daniel Widing remembers Alexandre Daigle
SHL Profile Daniel Widing came to Davos that year and for a short period played with Daigle before leaving. Widing remembers Daigle warmly.
– I just have a lot to say about him. He was one of the gang there in Davos and he was a good person.
How well did you follow him before coming to Davos?
– He looked good, it was great that he was there, you had heard so many stories about him. Not only hockey, but also that he dated Pamela Anderson and others. That is what you wanted to ask.
Did you do it then?
– Haha good. Johannes (Salmonsson) was also there. I have to do it. But Daigle was a little confused in his responses.
That Daigle failed to get the game up in the NHL was not due to lack of quality, Widing says.
– It was top notch. Daigle worked hard, had good hands and good skating. It was complete, it had everything. All the tools.But there was one thing that didn’t go well in the NHL, he earned a reputation for being a bad boy. He handled the pressure, but I think it’s difficult in the NHL if you have a label. So it is very difficult to wash it.
Daigle’s own words about the race.
Although it’s been 10 years since Daigle put the skates on the shelf, he became the center of attention and has no real involvement in hockey, it’s anything but forgotten.
Every year when spring begins to be summer, it’s time for the NHL draft. Then Daigle catches up again. Along with players like Nail Yakupov, Patrik Stefan, and Rick DiPietro, he is, as the Bleacher Report says: “Face out for a draftetta that failed”. The fact that Daigle in his youth has been compared to a legend like Mario Lemieux reinforces his image as a great failure.
He had it all. But it got nowhere.
It is an image that Daigle does not share.
In 2017, he did a rare interview with the Ottawa Sun, where he says he doesn’t miss hockey and doesn’t regret a thing.
– Everyone criticizes the races and talks about what it could be. But if you tell me today: “Your son will win two World Cups, he will play more than 600 games in the NHL and more than 200 in Europe, and he will travel and see the world.” Then I would have said yes. Everyone had it, says Daigle.
– We focus immensely on the few that are amazing. And not many people are. Maintaining a very high level for a long time is very difficult. What is the average NHL career? 4.5 years or something? In this context, I must be satisfied with my career. Hockey gave me a fantastic life.
