# J. J. Daigneault

Jean-Jacques Daigneault (born October 12, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League from 1984 to 2000. He was the head coach of the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 2019 to 2021. He also served as an assistant coach for the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL from 2012 until the end of the 2017–18 NHL season.

## Playing career

As a youth, Daigneault and his teammate Mario Lemieux, played in the 1977 and 1978 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a minor ice hockey team from Ville-Émard.
Daigneault was selected tenth overall in the first round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks. Daigneault is one of the most well-travelled players in NHL history. When he joined his tenth team, the Minnesota Wild, in 2000, he tied the NHL record held by Michel Petit. The record has since been broken by Mike Sillinger. Daigneault remains tied for second in the category, along with Petit, Jim Dowd, Lee Stempniak, Derick Brassard, Mathieu Schneider, Dominic Moore and Olli Jokinen.
Daigneault played for the Vancouver Canucks (1984–85 – 1985–86), Philadelphia Flyers (1986–87 – 1987–88), Montreal Canadiens (1989–90 – 1995–96), St. Louis Blues (1995–96), Pittsburgh Penguins (1995–96 – 1996–97), Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1996–97 – 1997–98), New York Islanders (1997–98), Nashville Predators (1998–99), Phoenix Coyotes (1998–99 – 1999–2000), and Minnesota Wild (2000–01). He played in the Stanley Cup finals with Philadelphia in 1987, and was a key member of the Montreal Canadiens as they won their 24th Stanley Cup in 1993.

### 1987 Stanley Cup Finals

Daigneault's earliest fame at the NHL level came when he scored the winning goal for the Philadelphia Flyers in the sixth game of the 1987 Stanley Cup Finals against the Edmonton Oilers. Daigneault had scored only six goals during the regular season, and, up to that point, had zero points in 8 playoff games. In 2006 this game was voted the eighth-greatest game in Philadelphia Flyers history according to fan voting.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1980–81 | Montreal-Concordia | QMAAA | 48 | 7 | 48 | 55 | 95 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1981–82 | Laval Voisins | QMJHL | 64 | 4 | 25 | 29 | 41 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 1982–83 | Longueuil Chevaliers | QMJHL | 70 | 26 | 58 | 84 | 58 | 15 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 35 |
| 1983–84 | Canada | Intl | 62 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1983–84 | Longueuil Chevaliers | QMJHL | 10 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 14 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 30 |
| 1984–85 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 67 | 4 | 23 | 27 | 69 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1985–86 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 64 | 5 | 23 | 28 | 45 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1986–87 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 77 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 56 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1987–88 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 10 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1987–88 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 28 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1988–89 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 12 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1988–89 | Sherbrooke Canadiens | AHL | 63 | 10 | 33 | 43 | 48 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 1989–90 | Sherbrooke Canadiens | AHL | 28 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1989–90 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 36 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1990–91 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 51 | 3 | 16 | 19 | 31 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1991–92 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 79 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 36 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 1992–93 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 66 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 57 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 22 |
| 1993–94 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 68 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 73 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| 1994–95 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 45 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1995–96 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1995–96 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 37 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1995–96 | Worcester IceCats | AHL | 9 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1995–96 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 13 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 23 | 17 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 36 |
| 1996–97 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 53 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1996–97 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 13 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 22 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 16 |
| 1997–98 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 53 | 2 | 15 | 17 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997–98 | New York Islanders | NHL | 18 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 35 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 35 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 32 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 1999–2000 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 53 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000–01 | Cleveland Lumberjacks | IHL | 44 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2000–01 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2001–02 | EHC Biel-Bienne | CHE II | 7 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 899 | 53 | 197 | 250 | 687 | 99 | 5 | 26 | 31 | 100 |

### International

| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1984 | Canada | WJC | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1984 | Canada | OG | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |

## Coaching career

| Seasons | Team | League | Role |
| 2005–2006 | Phoenix RoadRunners | ECHL | Assistant coach |
| 2007–2012 | Hartford Wolf Pack | American Hockey League | Assistant coach |
| 2012–2018 | Montreal Canadiens | National Hockey League | Assistant coach |
| 2018–2019 | San Antonio Rampage | American Hockey League | Assistant coach |
| 2019–2021 | Halifax Mooseheads | Quebec Major Junior Hockey League | Head coach |

## Personal life

Daigneault and his wife Janie have three daughters, Valérie, Gabrielle and Juliette. All three of the girls were born in different states where Daigneault was playing at the time. The family resides in Dorval, Quebec.