[VIDEO] Alexandre Daigle: "Legends" Series Ep. 2 (1995): The Great Disappointment - But Why?

[CambieKev]

Today brings us Episode 2 of our Legends Series where we look at the individual performances of players to garner a sense of their style of play. The subject of Episode 2: the talented but controversial Alexandre Daigle. He was, without question, a very gifted player. He was a superstar in the QMJHL, and the sheer amount of hype surrounding him resulted in the Ottawa Senators allegedly tanking to guarantee their first-overall draft position. The draft lottery system is the result of this.

He was expected to be another iconic hockey figure of the 1990s a la Steve Yzerman and Joe Sakic. He was to become Ottawa's superstar and the face of Senators hockey. Instead, he became known as the great disappointment, the most notorious letdown in recent draft history.

On a surface level, he looked as though he should have been a star based on his skill set. However, when one examines his tendencies, there are numerous flaws that one may identify as reasons for his lack of success in the NHL. There was the belief that he had lost interest in the game and played at a fraction of his capabilities. Many criticized his level of intensity.

When one watches this footage, though, the biggest takeaway is that his decision-making with the puck was far too slow at times. He sometimes exhibited tunnel vision, and he held on to the puck for far too long. He never created much with the puck on his stick.

Despite criticisms of his lack of intensity, he engaged along the boards regularly and fought for pucks. Many enigmatic, passive players tend to remain in the middle and shy away from the boards. Board work was a major element of Daigle's game. He was not particularly physical, though, as he preferred to use his stick. He played an aggressive, high-tempo style. This sometimes took him out of position and caused him to chase the play. He often looked fast with the puck. He was also less creative than he is given credit for.

Daigle was very talented, but multiple barriers prevented him from utilizing that skill set. I think scouts placed too much emphasis on his skill set and not enough on the red flags. He was aggressive but careless. He did not process the game as quickly as he moved.

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[NyQuil]

My recollection, rightly or wrongly, was that he was targeted for obstruction very early in his career as he emerged in the NHL during the worst stretch of the dead puck era.

I’ve often wondered if his career outcome would have been any different if he had come into the NHL during the current era.

 

[xbestboybandever]

Ahhh yes, Mr. Daigle, luckily you went number 1 because no one will ever remember the guy who went number 2.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Ahhh yes, Mr. Daigle, luckily you went number 1 because no one will ever remember the guy who went number 2.

Nick Stadjuhar, right?

 

[BagHead]

I've always been interested by Daigle, so this was a fun episode to watch.

I noticed a lot of the same things as the OP. I never really got to watch Daigle much until he played for the Wild, at which point he wasn't really the same player as he was when he was 18-20 years old. Instead I just played with him a bunch in the EA NHL game series. Looking at the video of him, he looks fast as h-e-double hockey sticks when he has the puck, but seems to run himself out of space regularly. Conversely, there was that power play at the 54 second mark where he just stood there and the defenders let him because he was just wasting time, and couldn't make/find a decision. They stood in the passing lanes, and left, multiple times, a shooting lane to the net. He even had a moving screen at one point that he could have utilized. Watching him in rushes you'd think he's an overly selfish player, but then seeing him stuck in the zone and trying to find a pass, while passing up the shot shows that he isn't selfish, he just lacked good, quick decision making.

He didn't look particularly disengaged to me, just ineffective. He wanted to use the stick defensively, but his stick work wasn't particularly accurate. He went into the boards and corners a lot with mixed results. Those aren't things disengaged players do. I've been told he didn't show much heart back then, but I see plenty of it in those videos. I think people confuse desire with physicality. I'm going to have to agree with his apparently lack of vision. I do see a few creative plays attempted, but they were often coming a moment too late, when either he or the player he was passing to had run out of room.

 

[surixon]

Hard to glean too much from some clips from a single game but I would say his vision and hands were a bit overstated from what I have seen. Having said that he got off to a pretty solid start to his career. A 51 point rookie season isn't anything to snuff about, he was also pacing 65 in his second season in the NHL. It seems that things went off track after that. Still for most of his career he was a second line caliber player, not what you would want from a 1st overall but hardly the worst thing in the world.

 

[Fixxer]

There was the belief that he had lost interest in the game and played at a fraction of his capabilities. Many criticized his level of intensity.

When one watches this footage, though, the biggest takeaway is that his decision-making with the puck was far too slow at times. He sometimes exhibited tunnel vision, and he held on to the puck for far too long. He never created much with the puck on his stick.

Despite criticisms of his lack of intensity, he engaged along the boards regularly and fought for pucks. Many enigmatic, passive players tend to remain in the middle and shy away from the boards. Board work was a major element of Daigle's game. He was not particularly physical, though, as he preferred to use his stick. He played an aggressive, high-tempo style. This sometimes took him out of position and caused him to chase the play. He often looked fast with the puck. He was also less creative than he is given credit for.

Daigle was very talented, but multiple barriers prevented him from utilizing that skill set. I think scouts placed too much emphasis on his skill set and not enough on the red flags. He was aggressive but careless. He did not process the game as quickly as he moved.

I agree with, I'd say, all of this, and mostly noticed the ones that are highlighted.

I had also seen a few clips like his spin-o-rama or the Phily hat trick on his first game as a Flyer.

I recommend looking up this article. Use the browser's option to translate the page, it doesn't mess up too much the French content. Explains from his perspective.
Alexandre Daigle à cœur ouvert - TVA Sports

 

[Fixxer]

He was able to be a point per game player up until his 24th NHL game. I heard that teams figured him out and that it was pretty much over after that.

 

[BLNY]

I was never convinced his desire matched his skill. I think he got to a point where he was mentally burnt out, and simply checked out.

 

[JasonRoseEh]

From accounts of guys who came up with him, attitude and subsequently work ethic plagued him. I find it hard to believe that a guy this talented couldn't cut it in the NHL without significant mental issues or injuries.

 

[Rec T]

There was a funny story that apparently has disappeared into the ether over the years about his time in the AHL way back when on the downward side of his career. His team (W/S?)was playing the Cincinnati Baby Ducks & one of the local jokers had made up a big sign to hang on the rail along the seats along the lines of "Shortcomings in Alexandre Daigle's play ... well, I bet Pam Anderson knows...". It was hung up during the pregame skate & Alexandre absolutely flipped out. Yelling, screaming, pointing & essentially throwing a fit like a little toddler. Eventually one of the assistant coaches was sent up to try to rip the sign down. That didn't work when most of the fans in the section stood in front of the sign and offered the coach assorted forms of bodily harm if he touched it. Again, it's been a loooong time (probably closing in on 20 years), but iirc the team threatened not to play unless 'that' sign came down (signs were always hung up all over the place back then). I'm fairly certain that the team owner came out (he was always out in the stands talking to people so this wasn't really unusual) & asked them to take it down so that the game could start. Fun times, fun times. You never knew just what might happen at one of those games

(such as Ilya Bryzgalov trying to chop Sean Avery in half vertically with his goalie stick ... but that's another story for another time...)

 

[The Panther]

He was another Pat Falloon.

 

[Video Nasty]

He was able to be a point per game player up until his 24th NHL game. I heard that teams figured him out and that it was pretty much over after that.

He had such a strong start. 12 points in his first 6 games, two 7 game point streaks and kept off the scoresheet 3 times in his first 19 games.

 

[Imnotagoodposter]

He had such a strong start. 12 points in his first 6 games, two 7 game point streaks and kept off the scoresheet 3 times in his first 19 games.

Yea they don’t call them short sample sizes for nothing else

 

[aufheben]

Keep 'em coming dude these rule.

I don't know what happened but this guy, but it looks like he could not have come into the NHL at a worse time. It's honestly embarrassing how long this league allowed hooking.

Why was there just a 3-year stretch in his career where he didn't play in the NHL? Did the Dark Age Rangers just crush him?

 

[Star Ocean]

Wasnt he lazy?

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

He's our Pat Falloon.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

Keep 'em coming dude these rule.

I don't know what happened but this guy, but it looks like he could not have come into the NHL at a worse time. It's honestly embarrassing how long this league allowed hooking.

Why was there just a 3-year stretch in his career where he didn't play in the NHL? Did the Dark Age Rangers just crush him?

Think he pursued acting.

 

[Beesfan]

Hockey IQ is the most important ability when it comes to who makes it in the NHL. Much more than size, skating or any individual skill. Daigle had a dazzling array of skills that may have been enough in junior hockey, but he couldn't mentally process the speed of the NHL. He was sort of like McDavid with no hockey sense.

 

[dBoon]

He actually led the Wild with his 51 points in 03-04.

 

[Hostile Offer]

It's like watching Jonathan Drouin through a 90s camera.

 

[wetcoast]

My recollection, rightly or wrongly, was that he was targeted for obstruction very early in his career as he emerged in the NHL during the worst stretch of the dead puck era.

I’ve often wondered if his career outcome would have been any different if he had come into the NHL during the current era.

Doubt it as he is the posterboy for toolbox rich but lacking the lunchbox to go with it.

 

[Kranix]

Lots of hooking and holding in that era, but I don't think he really cared about playing pro-hockey, seems like. Also injuries.

1:00-1:20 of that video...the Senators were so bad, nobody moving at all

 

[Dexter Colt]

I don't know what happened but this guy, but it looks like he could not have come into the NHL at a worse time. It's honestly embarrassing how long this league allowed hooking.

Why was there just a 3-year stretch in his career where he didn't play in the NHL? Did the Dark Age Rangers just crush him?

I recall him being quite open about his lack of motivation during his comeback years. He had mainly stuck with hockey due to his natural ability. I guess he later found a good fit in Switzerland with a good paycheck and more relaxed competition.

 

[aufheben]

It amazes me that people complain about the current expansion rules when the 1993 Ottawa Senators existed. Like...really? That’s what you want to see? A team with 70 losses and 400 goals against?

Amazing jerseys though.