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Downloaded from
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Alexandre Daigle became a hero in the NHL,
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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX
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but, uh, not for much more
than the money he made
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-and the chicks he dated.
-[anchor] Ooh.
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I might dress up as a nurse too
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for 12 million bucks
and a shot at Pamela Anderson. [exclaims]
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-[anchor] Yes.
-It's been a strange career
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for the former number one overall pick,
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and many wonder why the member
of the Minnesota Wild keeps playing.
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That's a good question.
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[film projector whirring]
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I was at ESPN magazine
and we started doing all of these stories
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about people who loved hockey,
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and we heard that Alexandre Daigle,
the number one pick that wasn't
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was in Davos
and had this, like, new lease on life.
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I pitched the story to my editor-in-chief
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and I was very thrilled when he said,
"Sure, go to Switzerland."
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The knock on Alex was
that he didn't love the game enough
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to ever be the best that he could be.
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But he loved the game enough
to go to another continent
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to continue to play the game.
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And I just thought that
that had to be a really good story.
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[film projector whirring]
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[narrator] In a thousand rinks,
in a thousand towns,
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-here's the great Canadian game, hockey.
-[players clamoring]
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[Berra]
In Canada, hockey is like a religion.
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[narrator] The younger you begin,
the sooner you learn.
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[MacGregor] Life is where we spend time
between periods.
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Nowhere in Canada is it more important
than in the province of Quebec.
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[reporter] Quebec, la belle province,
where the heroes are hockey stars.
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[narrator]
The players are picked and groomed
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for possible big league futures,
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trained by expert coaches.
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[anchor] Center : Alexandre Daigle.
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Hometown : Laval, Quebec.
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Alexandre Daigle is being touted
as the next in a long succession
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of great offensive players
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that has carried from Richard to Béliveau
to Lafleur to Lemieux.
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[presenter]
The first pick, Alexandre Daigle.
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[crowd cheering]
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[Berra] They were expecting him to be
some kind of savior.
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[MacGregor] Did it work out the way
a lot of people predicted it would,
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and maybe he dreamed it would? No.
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[both speaking French, chuckles]
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[Jean-Yves, in French]
When your kids are young,
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you have no idea what they'll become.
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[Alex] I grew up--
Well, big town now, called Laval.
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[interviewer]
Was it primarily French-speaking?
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Primarily? 102% French.
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It couldn't be more French than that.
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[in French] He was the worst skater
I'd seen in my life.
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I gave him positive advice like,
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"Prepare your skates
right before playing a game."
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When you do that, you clear your mind
and just think about your game.
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[Alex, in English] It was always
comforting going into the car
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and knowing that,
you know, you're really down,
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but nah, this guy won't be down.
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[Jean-Yves, in French]
Determination was his biggest quality.
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Nothing could stop him.
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He started to become one of the best
in his age group.
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He comes home from tryouts and says,
"The coach didn't choose me."
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[chuckles] The next day,
he goes to practice.
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The coach gathers the players and says,
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"Those I picked last week, come with me."
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Alex goes with the kids that were picked.
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-[in English] And he didn't realize it.
-[interviewer chuckles]
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And that was the best players on the team.
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[crowd clamoring, cheering]
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[Jean-Yves, in French]
Then, finally, he became a super skater.
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[crowd clamoring]
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Pee-Wee, bantam were…
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[in English] …amazing. [chuckles]
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[crowd cheering]
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[Alex]
That was a great thing because I was shy
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and you're making friends with guys
that have the same goals, the same fun.
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[teammates clamoring, cheering]
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I loved it.
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[interviewer]
What were your other hobbies off the ice?
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Other hobbies? Nah, come on.
That doesn't exist.
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Hockey was the only focus,
the only thing I wanted to do.
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The goal for most, if not all,
these young prospects,
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is to be drafted high
in the Quebec major league.
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And then from there,
be drafted in the NHL.
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You know, get that dream pumping,
and it became a reality.
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[crowd cheering]
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Twelve, 13, 14, you know,
I was pretty much dominating the leagues.
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[Brisson] We all heard about him.
So I saw him play.
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The first time was Prime Midget AAA.
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That's the first time that you really play
with all the best players in the province,
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and yeah, he was an amazing player.
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[reporter, in French] Yes, he is only
15 years old, and he dominates circuits
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where the majority of players
are 16 and 17 years old.
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[Alex, in English]
My goal was to score 50 goals in Midget.
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[reporter, in French]
Daigle is dominating the scoresheet
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with 28 goals and 24 assists in 21 games.
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[in English]
I realized, "Hey, man. I have a chance."
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Halfway through the season,
I broke my wrist.
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And so every practice, every game,
tape it up, let's go.
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-Fifty goals, let's fucking do it.
-[crowd cheering]
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[reporter, in French] At 6 feet
and 160 pounds, this young man from Laval
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is a great prospect for
the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
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[Alex, in English] You had to be tough,
show toughness.
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I could still play with a broken wrist.
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[interviewer] You make it sound so easy.
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Well, because there was no choice.
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You know, the injury comes,
the draft is coming up,
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all those elements together.
I didn't want to stop.
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[in French] I try not to set goals.
I just try to do my best. [chuckles]
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[Alex, in English] And I did it.
Fifty goals. Sixty assists. 110 points.
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[presenter speaking French]
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[reporter, in English] There are
no holes in Alexandre Daigle's game.
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-[announcer speaking French]
-[crowd cheering]
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But with Alex,
it was really those first three steps,
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and the guy was gone.
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[crowd cheering]
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He was an excellent skater.
One of the best I've seen.
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[announcer, in French] Daigle accelerates.
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Look at that speed! What a force!
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-And that is a goal by Alexandre Daigle!
-[crowd cheering]
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A play like that
is worth the price of admission!
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-[crowd cheering, chanting]
-[announcer] It is worth watching
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as you are doing from home right now.
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And it shows you who Alexandre Daigle is.
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[announcer continues, speaking French]
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[in English]
By the time Alexandre Daigle rolls around
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as a high-prospect 18-year-old in 1993
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you have this system
where the worst team in the league
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got to pick the first player in the draft.
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And at that time, that was
the Ottawa Senators. [chuckles]
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[reporter] The National Hockey League
is returning to Ottawa.
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They'll be called the Senators.
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How bad were they? Well,
they made the ESPN highlights of the year.
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And that was Andrew McBain falling down
the steps at the Chicago Coliseum.
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They were bad.
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[Leeder] We had a terrible season.
We almost set a record for futility.
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-[announcer] Shoots and scores!
-[crowd cheering]
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[Leeder] We started looking for,
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"Okay, who are the potential
top picks next year?"
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And Alex was this
French-Canadian superstar in the making.
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[announcer] …backhand, he scores!
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You know, they would say, well,
he has the hockey sense of Mario Lemieux.
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He's faster than Jean Béliveau.
He was a Canadian.
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We were a Canadian market.
We were Canada's capital city.
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So Alex Daigle fit the bill
for what we were trying to find
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and he was the player that we wanted.
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[reporter] He's a franchise player,
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the kind of player
who can secure a team's future
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on and off the ice.
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But you have to finish dead last
to draft him.
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San Jose and Ottawa were in last
and second-last place.
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[MacGregor] You have teams saying
that the proper strategy,
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since we're not going to make
the playoffs anyway, is to tank.
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If we tank, if we come in last,
we get Alexandre Daigle.
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And so we had this race to the bottom.
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So The Ottawa Citizen
began playing this up a lot.
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It became known as the Daigle Cup.
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And they ran this daily,
saying where the standings were.
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And those standings in Ottawa
of the worst teams
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became far more important
than the standings of the best teams.
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We weren't trying to lose. But believe me,
as bad as we were, it looked like it.
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But we weren't trying to lose.
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[Sexton] That concept was
unequivocally never discussed.
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In fact, when the Daigle Cup started
this whole media momentum,
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I called the president
of the San Jose Sharks
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and I proposed a deal to him.
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"Let's agree that the team that
finishes second last gets the first pick."
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Art totally flatly shut me down.
Reported it to the league.
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I get a call from the league saying,
"Please don't discuss this ever again."
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And I concurred.
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[reporter]
On 32 nights, it's been a sellout.
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Ottawa's fans wanting to win,
expecting to lose.
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But tonight, a chance to win by losing.
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They should lose the game
for the first pick.
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There's no use battling it now.
Go for Daigle.
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[reporter]
It's obvious the future is Daigle.
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He can see it. He knows it.
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Lose the game, and it's yours.
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Your future is basically riding
on this game.
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[crowd cheering]
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[announcer] …for Neely, scores!
Cam Neely, coming off the quarter!
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[Berra] They lost 70 games.
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I can't even imagine playing
on a hockey team that lost that often.
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And it wasn't all that long after that
that you went to a draft lottery.
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So that will stand in history
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as Alexandre Daigle's
greatest contribution to hockey.
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Wow.
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Imagine you read all this,
and 18 years old, and it's like, man,
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don't know what's going on,
you don't know what's your move.
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You don't know
if you should comment on it.
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It's, uh-- It's not an easy task.
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[film projector whirring]
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[reporter] We are outside the home
of Alexandre Daigle in Laval, Quebec,
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about 25 kilometers north of Montreal.
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For a guy
who should be jumping out of his skin,
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Daigle seems remarkably cool.
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It's expected that he'll be chosen
first overall in the upcoming draft.
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I've always liked to get in the home
of your first pick,
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because you learn a lot
about the way they're raised
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and the type of family they came from.
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So Rick Bowness and I went down
to meet with Alex and his parents.
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We were very excited.
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It was the first time
we really met people from the NHL.
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They came in, we were all dressed up,
ready to go.
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And, you know, Mr. and Mrs. Daigle
were incredibly gracious.
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Alex was, um-- Alex was Alex.
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He had that personality right away.
Like, smiley, happy, you know.
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He's the fun.
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He said a couple of things in French
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and he wasn't-- maybe wasn't sure
we understood, but we did.
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I have a lot of options in front of me,
so I will take the right one.
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It's no secret the Quebec Nordiques
would love to have him.
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And they've already said
they'd trade a bundle to get him.
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[Alex] They really put pressure to
sign that contract before the draft,
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'cause Ottawa was really scared
I was not going to show up,
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like Eric Lindros.
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[presenter] The Quebec Nordiques
are very proud to select Eric Lindros.
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[MacGregor] It was an ugly situation.
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[reporter] Lindros just took that sweater,
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00:11:12,839 --> 00:11:15,050
draped it across his arm.
He will not put the sweater on.
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He made that perfectly clear
to the Quebec Nordiques.
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[MacGregor] He refused.
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In Canada, with high taxes,
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you're always concerned about players'
desirability to be in your market.
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And I raised the issue with Pierre,
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and he was crystal clear
that if you draft Alex, he will come.
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[Leeder] Our position was let's not wait.
Our fans were excited.
228
00:11:32,109 --> 00:11:34,653
[MacGregor]
Alex was bilingual, handsome, dashing.
229
00:11:34,736 --> 00:11:35,821
Funny, charming.
230
00:11:35,904 --> 00:11:40,283
Great player. All the things
that the Franco-Canadian fans love.
231
00:11:41,118 --> 00:11:42,411
[crowd cheering]
232
00:11:42,494 --> 00:11:44,830
Apparently the two sides have agreed,
in principle,
233
00:11:44,913 --> 00:11:48,500
to a five-year deal worth anywhere
between ten and 14 million dollars.
234
00:11:48,583 --> 00:11:51,628
But if Daigle works out to be
the franchise player they think he'll be,
235
00:11:51,711 --> 00:11:52,838
it'll be worth every penny.
236
00:11:52,921 --> 00:11:56,716
He wasn't equipped
to be put in that position.
237
00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:00,429
And next thing I know,
I'm, uh-- I'm getting drafted.
238
00:12:01,054 --> 00:12:03,306
[speaking French]
239
00:12:03,390 --> 00:12:05,767
[reporter] What do you think
about the draft coming up?
240
00:12:05,851 --> 00:12:07,811
Ah. [sighs] I hope to be number one.
241
00:12:09,187 --> 00:12:10,647
[Alex]
But it's like a wedding, in a sense.
242
00:12:10,730 --> 00:12:11,940
So I guess we just stand here?
243
00:12:12,023 --> 00:12:13,817
-Yeah, just let Alex take over.
-[chuckles]
244
00:12:13,900 --> 00:12:15,861
[Alex] Talking to everybody,
trying to please everybody.
245
00:12:15,944 --> 00:12:18,196
[fan] So we're looking forward to
seeing you next season?
246
00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:19,364
-[Alex chuckles]
-Okay.
247
00:12:19,948 --> 00:12:22,200
[Alex]
It goes so quick that it becomes a blur.
248
00:12:23,952 --> 00:12:28,039
[MacGregor] They put Alexandre Daigle in
a horse-drawn buggy with Jean Béliveau.
249
00:12:28,582 --> 00:12:31,418
People truly believed
that Alex was the next coming.
250
00:12:31,501 --> 00:12:32,627
[crowd cheering]
251
00:12:32,711 --> 00:12:34,754
Everywhere he went, cheers and screaming.
252
00:12:35,255 --> 00:12:38,008
Young men wanted to get their girlfriends
photographed with him.
253
00:12:38,592 --> 00:12:41,386
A lot of 18- and 19-year-olds
in this building are very excited
254
00:12:41,470 --> 00:12:43,972
along with our audience from
coast to coast in Canada this afternoon.
255
00:12:44,055 --> 00:12:47,142
This is a great year to be looking
for a franchise player, is it not?
256
00:12:47,225 --> 00:12:49,895
[anchor] Certainly is. Makes you realize
how young they really are.
257
00:12:49,978 --> 00:12:53,815
Eighteen years old and you think of
the NBA draft or the NFL draft
258
00:12:53,899 --> 00:12:56,568
and certainly the players they're taking
are 20, 21 years old.
259
00:12:56,651 --> 00:12:58,987
Alexandre Daigle,
two years of major junior hockey,
260
00:12:59,070 --> 00:13:00,822
four years ago was playing bantam hockey.
261
00:13:00,906 --> 00:13:02,574
Now here he is,
ready to be number one pick.
262
00:13:02,657 --> 00:13:07,078
The first pick in the 1993 entry draft,
263
00:13:07,162 --> 00:13:10,832
the Ottawa Senators
welcome Alexandre Daigle.
264
00:13:10,916 --> 00:13:12,250
[crowd cheering]
265
00:13:12,334 --> 00:13:14,920
[announcer 1] Daigle is the consensus
number one draft pick.
266
00:13:15,003 --> 00:13:18,757
-The best player available.
-[announcer 2] No question about that.
267
00:13:20,175 --> 00:13:21,426
[coach] We felt this is the young man
268
00:13:21,510 --> 00:13:24,429
that you could build a world-class
National Hockey League team around.
269
00:13:24,513 --> 00:13:26,890
[reporter] He's just an explosive
offensive weapon.
270
00:13:26,973 --> 00:13:30,393
Alexandre is proud too,
and all of his family is very proud.
271
00:13:30,477 --> 00:13:33,522
He's gonna step in next year
and he's gonna play and he's gonna do well
272
00:13:33,605 --> 00:13:36,316
and so it's a great day for us.
273
00:13:36,399 --> 00:13:38,527
I knew I was going first,
so after I'd said,
274
00:13:38,610 --> 00:13:41,571
"How do I play it?"
I gotta look surprised. [chuckles]
275
00:13:41,655 --> 00:13:43,281
But, uh, I was not at all.
276
00:13:45,534 --> 00:13:49,079
[presenter] The Ottawa Senators
welcome Alexandre Daigle!
277
00:13:49,162 --> 00:13:50,163
[crowd cheering]
278
00:13:50,247 --> 00:13:55,752
[in French] What a memorable day.
I was younger then. [chuckles]
279
00:13:55,835 --> 00:13:57,587
[reporter, in English]
Meeting the team was just the beginning.
280
00:13:57,671 --> 00:13:59,422
Then it was time to meet the media.
281
00:13:59,506 --> 00:14:02,217
And then it was on to four
separate photo sessions,
282
00:14:02,300 --> 00:14:04,928
a preview of what's to come of stardom,
283
00:14:05,011 --> 00:14:08,765
and finally, a chance to sit back
and reflect on his day.
284
00:14:08,848 --> 00:14:10,141
The biggest day of my life.
285
00:14:11,059 --> 00:14:14,521
So it's invaluable time for me,
for my family, all the guys who know me.
286
00:14:14,604 --> 00:14:18,108
It's such a great feeling,
where I work all those years to come here
287
00:14:18,191 --> 00:14:20,443
and I'm here and I'm first,
so that's amazing.
288
00:14:21,111 --> 00:14:23,280
[Jean-Yves, in French] Your mother cried.
289
00:14:23,363 --> 00:14:25,657
-[presenter continues indistinctly]
-[in French] Yeah.
290
00:14:26,491 --> 00:14:27,617
[Sexton, in English] Well, I remember
291
00:14:27,701 --> 00:14:31,538
I had his first installment
of the signing bonus, which was $500,000.
292
00:14:31,621 --> 00:14:33,707
So I called him into my office
to give it to him.
293
00:14:33,790 --> 00:14:37,002
I said, "Alex, this is a lot of money.
What are you going to do with it?"
294
00:14:37,085 --> 00:14:40,255
He wanted to buy, uh, his mother a car.
295
00:14:40,338 --> 00:14:45,510
She was taking the bus to work every day,
so I had to change that system. [chuckles]
296
00:14:45,594 --> 00:14:49,389
We went car shopping
and, uh, he bought this beautiful Buick.
297
00:14:49,472 --> 00:14:52,976
And put a big, uh, red bow on it,
and parked the car--
298
00:14:53,059 --> 00:14:56,813
I remember, like-- not in the parking lot,
kind of on the lawn, right?
299
00:14:56,896 --> 00:15:01,568
And mom gets out and goes,
"Who parked the car on my lawn?" Right?
300
00:15:01,651 --> 00:15:03,903
And he goes, "Mom,"
and then she sees the big bow, right.
301
00:15:03,987 --> 00:15:05,822
And she goes, "Wha-Wha-- What?"
302
00:15:05,905 --> 00:15:07,616
[chuckles] It was very cute.
303
00:15:07,699 --> 00:15:10,577
Well, I said, "That's good.
What are you gonna do with the rest?"
304
00:15:10,660 --> 00:15:12,579
And he said, "I'm gonna pay off
my parents' mortgage."
305
00:15:12,662 --> 00:15:14,956
That's something I always wanted to do.
306
00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:17,542
We're starting the season in Midget,
307
00:15:17,626 --> 00:15:20,211
but Midget,
you pay a premium to play in that league.
308
00:15:20,295 --> 00:15:24,966
So my parents paid it, but they forgot--
Well, they didn't forget--
309
00:15:25,050 --> 00:15:27,427
It was just, I needed new skates as well.
I was growing.
310
00:15:28,178 --> 00:15:30,305
And they didn't have the money
for the skates,
311
00:15:30,388 --> 00:15:33,892
so my dad had to go borrow the money.
312
00:15:33,975 --> 00:15:35,268
First check, that's what I did,
313
00:15:35,352 --> 00:15:37,562
I paid my parents' mortgage
and that was it.
314
00:15:37,646 --> 00:15:41,149
I think it was 60,000 Canadian
at the time.
315
00:15:41,232 --> 00:15:45,987
And I bought myself a car,
and pretty much it.
316
00:15:46,071 --> 00:15:48,281
I didn't buy anything for a long time.
317
00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:55,622
You're giving me all the fun stuff.
318
00:15:55,705 --> 00:15:59,167
Later, it will be just--
The negative will come in.
319
00:15:59,250 --> 00:16:00,960
[interviewer chuckles]
There's a lot of time
320
00:16:01,044 --> 00:16:03,171
-to put in everything.
-Just before lunch, huh?
321
00:16:03,254 --> 00:16:05,507
[crowd cheering, whistling]
322
00:16:05,590 --> 00:16:09,010
[reporter] Alexandre Daigle has arrived
and all eyes are watching him.
323
00:16:09,094 --> 00:16:12,138
[MacGregor] Everywhere he went,
it was awe-inspiring.
324
00:16:12,222 --> 00:16:14,683
[reporter] Daigle is the
exclusive property of the Senators.
325
00:16:14,766 --> 00:16:18,144
[Alex] Think I met
every single person in Ottawa. [chuckles]
326
00:16:18,770 --> 00:16:21,648
[reporter] To help him, the team is
training him in public relations
327
00:16:21,731 --> 00:16:23,692
and working to improve his English.
328
00:16:23,775 --> 00:16:27,153
I don't have enough words to express
what I really think.
329
00:16:27,237 --> 00:16:29,489
[MacGregor] He was an 18-year-old child
when he got here.
330
00:16:29,572 --> 00:16:31,950
And of course,
there was the media controversy.
331
00:16:32,826 --> 00:16:36,955
During a session, Alex had said,
"No one remembers who goes second."
332
00:16:37,914 --> 00:16:41,626
You know, my approach,
I was super naive, so-- [chuckles]
333
00:16:41,710 --> 00:16:45,547
There's always a race in Montreal,
the F1 race.
334
00:16:45,630 --> 00:16:48,091
And I went that year with my dad,
335
00:16:48,174 --> 00:16:50,552
and we always say, you know,
the guy who wins in Montreal,
336
00:16:50,635 --> 00:16:54,597
the next year… [stammers]
…you don't remember who was second.
337
00:16:54,681 --> 00:16:57,142
From Peterborough, Chris Pronger.
338
00:16:57,225 --> 00:16:59,227
[crowd cheering]
339
00:16:59,310 --> 00:17:01,604
I was literally talking about that day.
340
00:17:01,688 --> 00:17:04,441
I was not talking about a career,
and I was not, you know--
341
00:17:05,442 --> 00:17:08,653
I was not overthinking my answer
and that's what, you know--
342
00:17:09,319 --> 00:17:12,699
they took that line and they rode forever.
343
00:17:12,781 --> 00:17:14,032
The other thing that happened was
344
00:17:14,117 --> 00:17:17,244
one of the hockey card production
companies put out a picture of him
345
00:17:17,328 --> 00:17:18,496
dressed up as a nurse.
346
00:17:19,204 --> 00:17:20,957
First of all, I looked great.
347
00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:24,794
I was tight, you know.
I had abs at that time.
348
00:17:24,877 --> 00:17:30,049
But, you know, I'm very easygoing guy,
and so I went to the shoot, I'm by myself.
349
00:17:30,133 --> 00:17:33,261
I have no agent, nobody, you know,
making decisions there.
350
00:17:33,344 --> 00:17:38,099
They throw all those outfits out there.
So I said, "Okay, that's pretty funny."
351
00:17:38,183 --> 00:17:40,310
And yeah. The worst decision ever,
352
00:17:40,393 --> 00:17:43,021
as far as, you know,
being taken seriously,
353
00:17:43,104 --> 00:17:44,355
people making fun of you.
354
00:17:44,439 --> 00:17:45,815
It was, like, just terrible.
355
00:17:45,899 --> 00:17:48,026
This was deemed almost a crime.
356
00:17:48,109 --> 00:17:49,736
It was tabooed. It wasn't accepted.
357
00:17:49,819 --> 00:17:52,030
[MacGregor]
People were really pissed off about it.
358
00:17:53,740 --> 00:17:58,787
I was very upset. I just didn't feel
that it cast Alex in the right light.
359
00:17:58,870 --> 00:18:00,914
That's not how we do things in the NHL.
360
00:18:00,997 --> 00:18:02,165
There's no way it was.
361
00:18:02,248 --> 00:18:04,375
Alex wasn't acting like a hockey player
362
00:18:04,459 --> 00:18:06,336
when he said
no one remembers who comes second.
363
00:18:06,419 --> 00:18:09,005
Alex wasn't acting
like an NHL hockey player
364
00:18:09,088 --> 00:18:10,799
when he dressed up in a nurse's outfit.
365
00:18:10,882 --> 00:18:12,967
And it's still to this day,
30 years later,
366
00:18:13,051 --> 00:18:14,969
sometimes I meet people and they
talk to me about it.
367
00:18:15,053 --> 00:18:17,347
It's "Oh, seriously, man? Wow."
368
00:18:17,430 --> 00:18:20,642
So, a lot on my plate during that summer.
369
00:18:20,725 --> 00:18:24,062
-Man, what the fuck am I doing?
-[interviewer chattering, chuckles]
370
00:18:25,605 --> 00:18:26,815
This is the end of the road.
371
00:18:28,149 --> 00:18:29,400
[interviewer] This is it, huh?
372
00:18:29,484 --> 00:18:31,361
Daigle, you got me. I'm done.
373
00:18:33,822 --> 00:18:36,616
[reporter] Alexandre Daigle has arrived
and all eyes are watching him.
374
00:18:36,699 --> 00:18:38,993
I'm just a little bit nervous
because it's pros.
375
00:18:39,077 --> 00:18:42,455
[reporter] The real pressure will come
as he tries to meet expectations
376
00:18:42,539 --> 00:18:46,751
of a team in desperate need of a talent,
of a city in need of a superstar.
377
00:18:47,836 --> 00:18:49,379
[Mailloux] Hockey's such a fun thing,
378
00:18:49,462 --> 00:18:51,923
and when you have a person
that you wanna believe in
379
00:18:52,006 --> 00:18:54,259
and cheer for them,
it's like, "Oh, my God. Oh, my God."
380
00:18:54,342 --> 00:18:57,011
And he's nice and he has this big smile
and he speaks French and English
381
00:18:57,095 --> 00:19:00,098
and people were expecting him to score,
like, 50 goals the first season.
382
00:19:00,181 --> 00:19:03,560
[reporter] The franchise tried his best
to blend in with the scrimmaging veterans,
383
00:19:03,643 --> 00:19:05,603
but it simply isn't possible anymore.
384
00:19:05,687 --> 00:19:06,980
The expectations were… [whistles]
385
00:19:07,063 --> 00:19:09,774
For the Ottawa Senators, we're gonna
see the debut of Alexandre Daigle.
386
00:19:09,858 --> 00:19:11,985
-[anchor 1] Alexandre Daigle--
-[anchor 2] Alexandre Daigle--
387
00:19:12,068 --> 00:19:14,279
[anchor 3] They're banking their future
on this young man.
388
00:19:14,362 --> 00:19:17,490
I always say it's never about the results,
it's about what you expected.
389
00:19:18,157 --> 00:19:21,536
For me, it was, "Okay, am I good enough
to play in this league?"
390
00:19:21,619 --> 00:19:23,663
-[announcer speaking French]
-[crowd cheering]
391
00:19:23,746 --> 00:19:24,789
[buzzer sounds]
392
00:19:24,873 --> 00:19:26,958
[announcer]
Alexandre Daigle shoots, he scores!
393
00:19:27,041 --> 00:19:29,878
[Alex] First month, I had one of my
best months ever in the league.
394
00:19:29,961 --> 00:19:33,631
[announcer] He's on a pace now
to exceed Wayne Gretzky,
395
00:19:33,715 --> 00:19:36,009
Mario Lemieux, and Eric Lindros
396
00:19:36,092 --> 00:19:38,469
in their first seasons
in the National Hockey League.
397
00:19:40,513 --> 00:19:43,349
-[in French] That was a special game.
-Ooh. [chuckles]
398
00:19:43,433 --> 00:19:46,352
[reporter] There's his parents
sitting in the stands here at the Forum.
399
00:19:46,436 --> 00:19:47,520
Must be a special treat.
400
00:19:47,604 --> 00:19:50,607
[reporter, in French]
Were you nervous when you arrived?
401
00:19:51,190 --> 00:19:54,569
[Jean-Yves, in French]
Yes. For me, he's playing in Montreal.
402
00:19:54,652 --> 00:19:57,530
[announcer speaking French]
403
00:20:00,199 --> 00:20:02,201
[crowd cheering]
404
00:20:02,285 --> 00:20:04,454
[announcer, in English]
Now it's Yashin out in front, they score!
405
00:20:04,537 --> 00:20:07,540
The Ottawa Senators
have beaten the Montreal Canadiens
406
00:20:07,624 --> 00:20:08,917
on an overtime goal.
407
00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:12,587
Their first ever win
in the Montreal Forum.
408
00:20:12,670 --> 00:20:14,339
It's, like, a big thing
going into the Forum.
409
00:20:14,422 --> 00:20:17,634
It's like, my-- It's like my first game
in the league, really, for me,
410
00:20:17,717 --> 00:20:20,803
because it's so big
and all my family were there, everything--
411
00:20:20,887 --> 00:20:22,138
So it was tremendous feeling.
412
00:20:22,221 --> 00:20:24,891
[Jean-Yves speaking French]
413
00:20:25,475 --> 00:20:28,478
[reporter speaking French]
414
00:20:32,398 --> 00:20:33,441
That's a nice answer.
415
00:20:33,942 --> 00:20:35,610
[interviewer] What did he say?
416
00:20:35,693 --> 00:20:37,987
He said, "That's when I realized…
417
00:20:38,071 --> 00:20:40,073
[clears throat] …my son was playing
in the NHL."
418
00:20:44,285 --> 00:20:49,415
You know, over the years, you know,
there's one or two generational player
419
00:20:49,499 --> 00:20:52,085
that could play at 18 years old
and be so impactful.
420
00:20:52,752 --> 00:20:56,965
So Alex wasn't ready to be that player,
going into an organization like this.
421
00:20:57,048 --> 00:20:59,842
[announcer] Apart from Alexei Yashin
and Alexandre Daigle,
422
00:20:59,926 --> 00:21:01,928
Ottawa has no one
to put the puck in the net.
423
00:21:02,470 --> 00:21:04,806
-Between them, the two have 27 goals…
-[crowd cheering]
424
00:21:05,306 --> 00:21:07,767
…as much as
the 11 remaining forwards combined.
425
00:21:07,850 --> 00:21:08,851
[Sexton] We didn't have the depth.
426
00:21:08,935 --> 00:21:12,689
And as a result,
he was exposed to more difficult matchups
427
00:21:12,772 --> 00:21:16,359
and we didn't have the support mechanism
internally to help him deal with it.
428
00:21:16,442 --> 00:21:18,528
[Mailloux]
It's as if he had no one to talk to
429
00:21:18,611 --> 00:21:21,030
and be like, "Tell me how it is.
Tell me how this works."
430
00:21:22,115 --> 00:21:24,742
Crosby, for example,
when he was drafted by the Penguins,
431
00:21:24,826 --> 00:21:27,578
he lived with Mario Lemieux for years.
432
00:21:27,662 --> 00:21:32,041
Alex didn't have that, and it would have
made a-- probably a very big difference.
433
00:21:32,125 --> 00:21:35,211
[Berra]
They go on to lose 61 games that year,
434
00:21:35,294 --> 00:21:37,505
and he does end up scoring 20 goals.
435
00:21:38,423 --> 00:21:40,800
You would think, wow,
that was actually kind of impressive.
436
00:21:40,883 --> 00:21:43,219
But because he hadn't scored 50 goals
and 100 points,
437
00:21:43,302 --> 00:21:46,222
he was just branded as
not meeting expectations.
438
00:21:47,557 --> 00:21:48,975
Then the lockout happened.
439
00:21:49,058 --> 00:21:52,311
We believe that the prudent course
of action is to put things on hold.
440
00:21:52,395 --> 00:21:53,855
That made the perfect storm.
441
00:21:55,023 --> 00:21:56,649
[Leeder]
The other teams were not necessarily
442
00:21:56,733 --> 00:21:59,318
as thrilled about Alex's contract
as maybe we were.
443
00:21:59,402 --> 00:22:02,655
[reporter] They say it's way out of line
to pay millions to an unproven commodity.
444
00:22:02,739 --> 00:22:04,782
[Sinden] Two years ago, number one pick.
445
00:22:04,866 --> 00:22:07,243
He got $475,000 a year.
446
00:22:07,326 --> 00:22:10,913
The 1993 pick got five times as much.
447
00:22:10,997 --> 00:22:13,958
That's more money than anybody
could have ever imagined a rookie getting.
448
00:22:14,042 --> 00:22:17,211
So it sent shock waves
through the entire hockey system.
449
00:22:17,295 --> 00:22:20,757
It basically led to salary caps
on entry-level contracts.
450
00:22:21,257 --> 00:22:24,719
It became the Alex Daigle clause,
so to speak, you know?
451
00:22:24,802 --> 00:22:26,596
It puts a target on you, for sure.
452
00:22:26,679 --> 00:22:30,433
[announcer]
They claim he gets $37,902 a game,
453
00:22:31,100 --> 00:22:34,187
which translates to $12,634 a period.
454
00:22:34,270 --> 00:22:35,813
[commentator] He's good-looking there,
455
00:22:35,897 --> 00:22:37,899
but he's definitely not
good-looking on the ice.
456
00:22:37,982 --> 00:22:40,860
[reporter] This was, by far,
the worst team in hockey.
457
00:22:40,943 --> 00:22:43,863
[Leeder] We finished dead last overall
in the league four consecutive years.
458
00:22:45,281 --> 00:22:48,159
[MacGregor] Alex, of course,
he became the scapegoat.
459
00:22:48,242 --> 00:22:51,412
[Alex] I was the face of it.
In Ottawa, it's a bilingual city,
460
00:22:51,496 --> 00:22:54,707
so who's gonna do the French interview
after a game? It's gonna be me.
461
00:22:54,791 --> 00:22:57,502
Who's gonna be on the English side?
It's gonna be me.
462
00:22:57,585 --> 00:23:00,046
So you're always there,
so you're gonna be the first criticized.
463
00:23:00,129 --> 00:23:02,381
[reporter 1]
Tell us why the Senators have had problems
464
00:23:02,465 --> 00:23:03,925
scoring in the first period this season.
465
00:23:04,008 --> 00:23:05,551
Is the NHL harder than you thought?
466
00:23:05,635 --> 00:23:07,303
[reporter 2] Are you very annoyed
467
00:23:07,386 --> 00:23:09,180
that you guys haven't done better
than you have?
468
00:23:09,263 --> 00:23:11,766
And you imagine
answering those questions in English,
469
00:23:11,849 --> 00:23:14,352
then second-guessing
the way he answered them.
470
00:23:14,435 --> 00:23:18,106
Then having to sort of rethink them
and then go answer them in French again.
471
00:23:18,606 --> 00:23:20,650
And just talk over and over again,
472
00:23:20,733 --> 00:23:22,902
literally double the time
anyone else would have to,
473
00:23:22,985 --> 00:23:25,446
about how bad
you and your teammates were that night.
474
00:23:25,530 --> 00:23:27,031
[announcer] Here comes Daigle!
475
00:23:27,115 --> 00:23:29,700
Dekes, shoots and misses the entire net!
476
00:23:29,784 --> 00:23:31,911
[announcer 2] Kind of wondering
how that plays on a young man's mind.
477
00:23:31,994 --> 00:23:34,080
Making that kind of dollars, Greg,
and you're simply not performing.
478
00:23:34,163 --> 00:23:36,499
[Mailloux] I remember
Alex hadn't been scoring for a bit,
479
00:23:36,582 --> 00:23:38,668
and I'm in the crowd,
and there is, like, 20,000 people.
480
00:23:38,751 --> 00:23:42,588
-Alex got the puck. I hear, "Boo!"
-[crowd booing]
481
00:23:42,672 --> 00:23:44,298
Ouch. It hurt me.
482
00:23:44,382 --> 00:23:46,134
Right away… [whistles]
…he got rid of the puck.
483
00:23:46,217 --> 00:23:47,718
[Berra] The fans are all over him
all the time.
484
00:23:47,802 --> 00:23:49,637
He's got no room to breathe whatsoever.
485
00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:53,182
We're just walking, and I see people,
like, walking towards us.
486
00:23:53,266 --> 00:23:56,102
We have to keep walking.
Otherwise we'll get stuck.
487
00:23:56,185 --> 00:23:58,688
-[interviewer] Are you having fun yet?
-Yeah, having fun. Having fun doing--
488
00:23:58,771 --> 00:24:00,773
When I play, nobody can bugs me,
and all those stuff,
489
00:24:00,857 --> 00:24:02,358
so I just laugh and play hockey.
That's it.
490
00:24:02,441 --> 00:24:04,819
When, you know--
When you don't have fun, you quit hockey.
491
00:24:04,902 --> 00:24:08,364
[announcer] Now a chance for Ottawa.
Daigle moving down on the right wing.
492
00:24:08,447 --> 00:24:11,284
Cuts in front
and he's taken out by Daneyko,
493
00:24:11,367 --> 00:24:14,078
and goes crashing into the net
and he is hurt.
494
00:24:14,162 --> 00:24:15,788
Broke both bones.
495
00:24:17,790 --> 00:24:19,667
That was the end of my season right there.
496
00:24:19,750 --> 00:24:23,296
[announcer] And, boy, he's holding
that left arm and he's in a lot of pain.
497
00:24:23,379 --> 00:24:26,048
-We're gonna take a short break…
-[sighing]
498
00:24:26,132 --> 00:24:27,842
Takes a long time to be a good player
499
00:24:27,925 --> 00:24:30,970
and to be an overall good player
and an impact player.
500
00:24:31,053 --> 00:24:34,932
You don't-- You know, most people don't--
are impact player at 18, 19 or 20.
501
00:24:35,016 --> 00:24:40,479
You learn from experience in the league
what it takes to become successful and--
502
00:24:41,063 --> 00:24:43,316
So it took me a while to-- Uh…
503
00:24:43,399 --> 00:24:46,819
Well, not a while, but trials and errors,
and after that, I got it down.
504
00:24:47,486 --> 00:24:53,409
But dedication was always
on top of everybody's--
505
00:24:53,492 --> 00:24:56,996
Ah, everybody-- um-- lyrics.
506
00:24:57,079 --> 00:25:02,001
And saying, "Yeah, that's the problem."
Well, maybe there's more to it.
507
00:25:04,337 --> 00:25:06,047
[announcer, in French] The '96-'97 season
508
00:25:06,130 --> 00:25:07,840
will be very important
for Alexandre Daigle,
509
00:25:07,924 --> 00:25:10,384
as he is in the last year
of his four-year contract.
510
00:25:10,468 --> 00:25:14,138
If he doesn't perform,
he knows he won't be back to Ottawa.
511
00:25:14,222 --> 00:25:15,848
[Mailloux] Hockey players,
they play hockey,
512
00:25:15,932 --> 00:25:17,600
but they have a lot of time to think.
513
00:25:17,683 --> 00:25:22,021
So on those, like, dead times,
you think about stuff.
514
00:25:23,356 --> 00:25:27,276
[Berra] Think of the people
who are the best at what they do.
515
00:25:27,360 --> 00:25:31,530
There's still that element of fun and play
that happens with them.
516
00:25:31,614 --> 00:25:33,366
And that's why they're so good
at what they do
517
00:25:33,449 --> 00:25:36,118
because it doesn't feel like work,
and they wanna show up.
518
00:25:36,869 --> 00:25:41,832
At some point,
that process became not fun for Alex.
519
00:25:41,916 --> 00:25:44,377
[announcer] Daigle-- Oh!
He's hammered at center ice…
520
00:25:44,460 --> 00:25:46,712
-[whistle blows]
-…and knocked into next Tuesday!
521
00:25:47,213 --> 00:25:52,551
[Alex] When you're not used to reading
the papers and getting the TV coverage
522
00:25:52,635 --> 00:25:55,846
and now, you can understand it
and look at it and see it,
523
00:25:55,930 --> 00:25:57,306
yeah, you just--
524
00:25:57,390 --> 00:26:00,142
Geez, there's a lot of negative
that goes into your head, and it's--
525
00:26:00,226 --> 00:26:01,435
Uh, I don't think that's healthy.
526
00:26:01,519 --> 00:26:04,730
[Mailloux] When it got too hard for him
on the ice, you look away.
527
00:26:04,814 --> 00:26:08,025
Maybe the dedication
wasn't there early on.
528
00:26:08,109 --> 00:26:12,071
Because my stats were not up to par,
dedication became the biggest issue.
529
00:26:12,154 --> 00:26:13,906
That has been
one of the things about Daigle,
530
00:26:13,990 --> 00:26:15,491
he hasn't competed at certain times.
531
00:26:15,574 --> 00:26:17,785
Alex said he was interested in film
and things like that.
532
00:26:17,868 --> 00:26:21,706
[reporter] I heard somewhere that
someday you'd like to be a stand-up comic.
533
00:26:21,789 --> 00:26:22,790
What?
534
00:26:23,666 --> 00:26:27,378
You're interested in something
other than hockey? Are you sick?
535
00:26:27,461 --> 00:26:30,131
[TV host] So is your social life
a bit of a distraction?
536
00:26:30,214 --> 00:26:31,799
-My social life?
-[TV host] Yeah. Come on.
537
00:26:31,882 --> 00:26:35,177
You're young. You have a lot of money.
You're a nice-looking guy.
538
00:26:35,261 --> 00:26:38,472
The reputation was certainly
following him around.
539
00:26:38,556 --> 00:26:39,640
[TV host] No, seriously. [stammers]
540
00:26:39,724 --> 00:26:41,100
-Do you think that--
-Seriously.
541
00:26:41,183 --> 00:26:43,519
-[TV host] What? No, seriously.
-[laughs] I'm serious.
542
00:26:43,602 --> 00:26:45,354
[TV host] I mean,
a lot of people say, you know--
543
00:26:45,438 --> 00:26:48,774
a lot of people say, you know,
"He's a glitter boy. Got a lot of money.
544
00:26:48,858 --> 00:26:51,694
Good-looking guy." You know,
"He's not serious about the sport
545
00:26:51,777 --> 00:26:54,739
because it all has come so easy to him."
But it really hasn't, has it?
546
00:26:54,822 --> 00:26:58,034
A lot of times, when I look at
those interviews and the tape,
547
00:26:58,868 --> 00:27:01,162
it's reporters that put me in a spot.
548
00:27:01,245 --> 00:27:02,705
And people are watching this.
549
00:27:02,788 --> 00:27:05,708
It seems like I wanna shoot myself,
or it's, like, a tough time.
550
00:27:05,791 --> 00:27:08,336
And it's-- it's not the case.
551
00:27:08,419 --> 00:27:12,048
It's just tough for me to explain
to a reporter that comes
552
00:27:12,131 --> 00:27:15,551
and just trying to find a reason
why my performance
553
00:27:15,634 --> 00:27:19,221
are not what was expected of me
when I was drafted first overall.
554
00:27:19,305 --> 00:27:21,807
And in the meantime,
I gotta look very sad,
555
00:27:21,891 --> 00:27:23,225
but I'm having a great life.
556
00:27:23,309 --> 00:27:25,227
So he found the right remedy,
557
00:27:25,978 --> 00:27:28,272
but that remedy
wasn't accepted at the time.
558
00:27:28,356 --> 00:27:31,734
[Leeder] We felt internally that he's
never gonna meet the fans' expectations.
559
00:27:31,817 --> 00:27:33,235
Better for us and better for him
560
00:27:33,319 --> 00:27:35,571
if he moved on
and had a fresh start somewhere else.
561
00:27:35,654 --> 00:27:40,826
He asked me if I wanted to stay in Ottawa,
and I said, you know-- I said, "Yeah."
562
00:27:40,910 --> 00:27:45,373
But I don't think I was that convincing.
[laughs]
563
00:27:45,456 --> 00:27:47,208
It didn't take a month and I was traded.
564
00:27:49,418 --> 00:27:52,505
[announcer 1] A flight came in yesterday
at Philadelphia International Airport
565
00:27:52,588 --> 00:27:54,590
from Canada's capital
and brought with him,
566
00:27:54,673 --> 00:27:56,008
ta-da, Alexandre Daigle.
567
00:27:56,759 --> 00:27:59,428
I was very happy.
I really wanted to go to the States
568
00:27:59,512 --> 00:28:02,348
and live not under a microscope as much.
569
00:28:02,431 --> 00:28:05,393
Relief, you know? Over the last month,
a lot of trade talks in Ottawa.
570
00:28:05,476 --> 00:28:07,353
And obviously, coming to the Flyers--
571
00:28:07,436 --> 00:28:09,980
If you had a wish list,
the Flyers are first on any list.
572
00:28:10,064 --> 00:28:11,941
Flyers are hoping, without any pressure,
573
00:28:12,024 --> 00:28:14,610
that he's gonna blossom into the player
that they think he can.
574
00:28:14,693 --> 00:28:16,987
[announcer 2] Brind'Amour with the puck
for Daigle, exploiting the defenseman.
575
00:28:17,071 --> 00:28:18,072
Daigle at goal.
576
00:28:18,155 --> 00:28:19,198
-He scores!
-[crowd cheering]
577
00:28:19,281 --> 00:28:22,076
[announcer 2] Alexandre Daigle's
first goal as a Flyer
578
00:28:22,159 --> 00:28:24,286
is a game winner in overtime!
579
00:28:24,370 --> 00:28:25,663
It's a winning team in here.
580
00:28:25,746 --> 00:28:28,499
You got Lindros. You got Brind'Amour.
You got LeClair. You got a lot of stars.
581
00:28:28,582 --> 00:28:31,460
[announcer 3]
Alexandre Daigle sets up Eric Lindros.
582
00:28:31,544 --> 00:28:35,339
Gratton with a pass for Sillinger,
to Daigle-- they score!
583
00:28:35,423 --> 00:28:38,008
Alexandre Daigle! Tic-tac-toe!
584
00:28:38,092 --> 00:28:40,803
There's that speed from Daigle.
Daigle moves up.
585
00:28:40,886 --> 00:28:42,555
Sillinger in front, scores!
586
00:28:43,889 --> 00:28:47,560
[announcer 2] There's the shot. Oh,
what a release. A hat trick for Daigle.
587
00:28:47,643 --> 00:28:50,438
[Alex] And I had a breakaway as well
and I hit the crossbar.
588
00:28:50,521 --> 00:28:51,814
Couldn't do wrong that game.
589
00:28:51,897 --> 00:28:53,023
And the Daigle.
590
00:28:54,150 --> 00:28:57,653
-Is he a pisser or what? I like him.
-[laughs] He's a riot.
591
00:28:57,736 --> 00:29:01,782
I was very friendly and always open,
and always ready to talk to anybody.
592
00:29:01,866 --> 00:29:04,827
So now, let me get this right.
They had you do this TV show
593
00:29:04,910 --> 00:29:07,246
where they made you go to
all these Las Vegas shows.
594
00:29:07,329 --> 00:29:09,331
-You know, I-I'm big in Quebec.
-[interviewer chuckles]
595
00:29:09,415 --> 00:29:11,584
-I needed a camera on me all the time.
-[interviewer] You just--
596
00:29:11,667 --> 00:29:13,752
-Are you Kenney? Hey. [kisses]
-How are you? [kisses]
597
00:29:13,836 --> 00:29:15,463
[interviewer]
Is that the kind of thing you like to do?
598
00:29:15,546 --> 00:29:17,923
You think maybe a career in Hollywood
or something like that?
599
00:29:18,007 --> 00:29:19,467
-Entertainment?
-Yeah, like acting.
600
00:29:19,550 --> 00:29:21,594
I might live there
because I got the money, but--
601
00:29:21,677 --> 00:29:22,678
[both laugh]
602
00:29:22,761 --> 00:29:24,847
See what I mean?
He's modest. What can I tell ya?
603
00:29:25,514 --> 00:29:26,932
It was just a fun time.
604
00:29:27,016 --> 00:29:28,434
[announcer]
They've taken that pressure off him,
605
00:29:28,517 --> 00:29:30,060
and he'd go out there
and just play the game.
606
00:29:30,686 --> 00:29:32,563
And, folks, he is coming alive.
607
00:29:32,646 --> 00:29:34,732
I was Player of the Month,
I was very proud of myself.
608
00:29:34,815 --> 00:29:38,027
[MacGregor] A lot of good athletes have
the ability not to get distracted.
609
00:29:38,110 --> 00:29:41,280
Alex did not have the ability
not to get distracted.
610
00:29:43,199 --> 00:29:45,910
[presenter] You said you had a good summer
training. You had a good summer overall?
611
00:29:45,993 --> 00:29:46,994
[Alex] Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
612
00:29:47,077 --> 00:29:48,454
-It was good. [chuckles]
-[presenter] Mmm.
613
00:29:48,537 --> 00:29:51,123
-That it was.
-[Alex] I missed you guys. [chuckles]
614
00:29:51,207 --> 00:29:53,542
[presenter] My train of thought was
just lost there for a moment.
615
00:29:53,626 --> 00:29:57,338
All of a sudden I started thinking about
beaches and lifeguards.
616
00:29:57,421 --> 00:30:00,132
-Uh, I'll be all right.
-You need those.
617
00:30:00,216 --> 00:30:01,383
-I guess so.
-Yeah.
618
00:30:01,467 --> 00:30:03,093
There was a rumor that came out.
619
00:30:03,177 --> 00:30:06,972
It was a little bit of the imaginary
of a hockey player, you know,
620
00:30:07,056 --> 00:30:09,141
dating somebody that level.
621
00:30:09,225 --> 00:30:12,353
That's-- You know, that-- that was
the beauty of, um…
622
00:30:12,436 --> 00:30:14,146
[clicks tongue] … of no social media.
623
00:30:14,230 --> 00:30:16,398
So there's no proof,
624
00:30:16,482 --> 00:30:18,984
and I don't have to talk about it,
so I don't.
625
00:30:19,068 --> 00:30:20,069
[sighs]
626
00:30:20,903 --> 00:30:23,864
[interviewer] At training camp,
Bob Clarke was outspoken on perhaps the--
627
00:30:23,948 --> 00:30:26,784
the shape that you came in.
Was it a fair assessment from the GM?
628
00:30:26,867 --> 00:30:29,036
[Alex] I don't think it was fair.
I think I was in shape.
629
00:30:29,662 --> 00:30:31,830
Bobby Clarke,
think he's an old-school type guy.
630
00:30:31,914 --> 00:30:36,418
And he thought LA was not suitable for
a young player to train and to have fun.
631
00:30:36,502 --> 00:30:39,004
Um, so, that was his view on it.
632
00:30:39,505 --> 00:30:43,175
I'm not gonna ask anybody what I should do
as far as, you know, where I should live.
633
00:30:43,259 --> 00:30:47,429
And there was no way I was going to listen
to, uh-- to anybody on that subject.
634
00:30:47,513 --> 00:30:50,224
[announcer] Here's a chance for a man--
And score! They score!
635
00:30:50,307 --> 00:30:52,101
[Alex] I had a great start of the season,
636
00:30:52,184 --> 00:30:55,104
and Roger Neilson, the coach,
calls me in and he said,
637
00:30:55,187 --> 00:30:57,022
"Alex, I love the season."
638
00:30:57,106 --> 00:31:00,192
You know, "We're doing well right now,
but we're gonna change a few things now."
639
00:31:00,276 --> 00:31:01,443
I said, "Really? What?"
640
00:31:02,403 --> 00:31:05,072
And he said, uh, "We're gonna make
a defensive player out of you."
641
00:31:05,155 --> 00:31:07,908
I thought it was a joke at the beginning,
and I said, "Listen, Roger."
642
00:31:07,992 --> 00:31:12,246
I said, "I scored 26 two years ago.
Let's do it this year. I'm going for 30."
643
00:31:13,289 --> 00:31:15,624
And he said, "No, you're not.
It's not gonna happen.
644
00:31:15,708 --> 00:31:18,335
You're gonna be a defensive player
or you're not gonna play."
645
00:31:18,961 --> 00:31:22,631
I said, "Roger, man,
you do what you have to do. Whatever."
646
00:31:22,715 --> 00:31:23,716
And I left.
647
00:31:24,466 --> 00:31:27,052
[Brisson] It's something we deal with,
with NHL players.
648
00:31:27,136 --> 00:31:30,347
You know, they achieve something
at age 22, 23. "I'm arrived."
649
00:31:30,431 --> 00:31:32,975
Once you think you arrive,
you're as good as gone.
650
00:31:34,727 --> 00:31:36,103
[Alex] You wanna be at that level,
651
00:31:37,646 --> 00:31:39,732
you gotta be willing
to make those sacrifices.
652
00:31:41,233 --> 00:31:43,527
You need to give it all
on every aspect of your life.
653
00:31:44,737 --> 00:31:46,739
-[announcer] Eric Lindros!
-[crowd cheering]
654
00:31:47,823 --> 00:31:51,410
[Alex] Eric Lindros is the guy
that I looked upon now,
655
00:31:51,493 --> 00:31:55,414
and through all of the years that I play,
that loved the game the most.
656
00:31:55,497 --> 00:31:58,334
[announcer]
That's what the people came to see!
657
00:31:58,417 --> 00:32:00,878
[Alex] When he got into the Hall of Fame,
I wrote him an email.
658
00:32:01,795 --> 00:32:04,840
Tell him-- [clears throat] Tell him
how I felt while playing with him.
659
00:32:06,175 --> 00:32:08,010
He was practicing like he was playing.
660
00:32:08,844 --> 00:32:12,181
It was, like, all out
and almost cross-checking people.
661
00:32:12,264 --> 00:32:14,933
Like, he was all in all the time.
662
00:32:15,601 --> 00:32:19,063
I remember once
we're doing, like, races to the puck.
663
00:32:19,938 --> 00:32:22,066
The odds I'm gonna win that race
are pretty high.
664
00:32:22,858 --> 00:32:23,859
Beat him once.
665
00:32:24,860 --> 00:32:28,113
Second time I beat him,
I received a slashing from him.
666
00:32:28,197 --> 00:32:30,616
And I was like,
"Oh, okay, this guy fucking serious."
667
00:32:30,699 --> 00:32:33,702
[chuckles] Like,
he takes it to the first degree.
668
00:32:34,203 --> 00:32:35,663
Don't fuck around with that guy.
669
00:32:37,247 --> 00:32:38,916
For me, looking at him--
The way he was playing.
670
00:32:38,999 --> 00:32:41,919
The way he loved it.
The way he was involved.
671
00:32:42,002 --> 00:32:43,629
And the way he dedicate his life…
672
00:32:43,712 --> 00:32:45,464
[clears throat]
…a hundred percent to the sport,
673
00:32:45,547 --> 00:32:47,508
it was pretty amazing.
674
00:32:47,591 --> 00:32:49,385
[interviewer]
Did you ever have a feeling that I wish
675
00:32:49,468 --> 00:32:51,595
I could dedicate myself that much?
676
00:32:51,679 --> 00:32:56,600
[grunts] Hundred percent.
For sure. For sure.
677
00:32:57,393 --> 00:32:59,895
[interviewer] Do you think there is
a specific moment that you can point to
678
00:32:59,978 --> 00:33:02,064
where you said,
"That's where I didn't have the edge"?
679
00:33:02,981 --> 00:33:04,983
[Alex] Yeah, it was, uh, Midget.
680
00:33:05,067 --> 00:33:08,654
That was the last time, really,
that, uh, I had no care in the world,
681
00:33:08,737 --> 00:33:11,073
and hockey was the main, main,
main priority for me.
682
00:33:11,824 --> 00:33:15,577
Ended up, you know, leading the league,
and scoring-- and scoring that 50 goals.
683
00:33:15,661 --> 00:33:17,996
And that 50 was always my number
that I wanted to reach.
684
00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:20,999
So when I reached that,
I don't know what happened. It just--
685
00:33:21,083 --> 00:33:22,334
I was like, "Okay."
686
00:33:22,418 --> 00:33:26,922
Uh, in my little brain, a 15-year-old,
I was-- "What do I do next?"
687
00:33:27,005 --> 00:33:31,051
And I never really recaptured it.
688
00:33:32,845 --> 00:33:34,346
Uh, now, you know,
689
00:33:34,430 --> 00:33:36,515
they have a sports psychologist
and all those things.
690
00:33:36,598 --> 00:33:39,226
And I think it's amazing.
But 30 years ago, I don't think so.
691
00:33:40,561 --> 00:33:42,563
[Jean-Yves, in French] Back then,
you were not allowed to talk about it.
692
00:33:42,646 --> 00:33:43,772
Exactly.
693
00:33:43,856 --> 00:33:46,608
You couldn't talk about depression
or anything else.
694
00:33:46,692 --> 00:33:49,528
It would have made
a big difference in my career.
695
00:33:49,611 --> 00:33:51,447
Definitely.
696
00:33:51,530 --> 00:33:57,453
But what can we do? Our hands were tied.
697
00:33:57,536 --> 00:34:00,456
[in English] Draft was coming
in a year and a half from now,
698
00:34:00,539 --> 00:34:05,335
and going to a doctor or--
for, uh, burnout,
699
00:34:05,419 --> 00:34:07,296
or whatever you want to call it
at the time…
700
00:34:08,130 --> 00:34:11,425
Uh, it was not a good look
for a young kid.
701
00:34:11,507 --> 00:34:14,011
What? You're seeing a psychologist?
You're seeing someone?
702
00:34:14,553 --> 00:34:16,889
What's wrong with you?
You're the first pick overall.
703
00:34:16,972 --> 00:34:18,891
The combination of having that goal,
704
00:34:18,974 --> 00:34:21,893
of scoring 50,
being the first overall pick,
705
00:34:21,976 --> 00:34:24,103
from there on, he thought he was arrived.
706
00:34:24,188 --> 00:34:26,023
It's gonna be like this.
I'm gonna be fine.
707
00:34:26,732 --> 00:34:29,193
You know,
only him can probably answer that today.
708
00:34:29,275 --> 00:34:31,820
I never recaptured the edge I had.
709
00:34:33,071 --> 00:34:35,991
When that happened at 15,
my edge just went away.
710
00:34:36,074 --> 00:34:38,827
And when you lose that edge, you're done.
711
00:34:41,496 --> 00:34:45,667
When you grow up and you get to the NHL,
yeah, it's great. You're very excited.
712
00:34:45,751 --> 00:34:48,504
But when you--
you got that special talent…
713
00:34:52,507 --> 00:34:55,052
and you-- [clears throat] You-- [sighs]
714
00:35:05,854 --> 00:35:07,731
you-- [clears throat] Inside of you,
715
00:35:07,815 --> 00:35:09,942
you cannot push it
the way it should be pushed.
716
00:35:12,236 --> 00:35:13,320
Super sad.
717
00:35:16,073 --> 00:35:18,867
And I-- [clears throat] And I always
remember there's a song--
718
00:35:18,951 --> 00:35:20,619
there's a movie and a song that I saw.
719
00:35:21,453 --> 00:35:24,540
One was, uh, Good Will Hunting.
720
00:35:25,123 --> 00:35:28,335
-Look, you got something none of us have.
-Oh, come on. I'm--
721
00:35:29,461 --> 00:35:33,090
And I was in Philly when I saw the movie.
I remember I went to see it alone.
722
00:35:33,173 --> 00:35:34,174
Why is it always this?
723
00:35:34,258 --> 00:35:37,010
I fucking owe it to myself to do this?
What if I don't want to?
724
00:35:37,094 --> 00:35:39,805
[Chuckie] No, no, no. No, fuck you.
You don't owe it to yourself.
725
00:35:41,473 --> 00:35:42,474
You owe it to me.
726
00:35:43,725 --> 00:35:45,853
'Cause tomorrow,
I'm gonna wake up and I'll be 50.
727
00:35:46,395 --> 00:35:47,896
And I'll still be doing this shit.
728
00:35:49,231 --> 00:35:50,732
And that's all right. That's fine.
729
00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:53,652
I mean,
you're sitting on a winning lottery ticket
730
00:35:54,152 --> 00:35:56,071
and you're too much of a pussy
to cash it in.
731
00:35:56,822 --> 00:35:57,823
And that's bullshit.
732
00:36:00,075 --> 00:36:02,327
'Cause I'd do fucking anything
to have what you got.
733
00:36:02,828 --> 00:36:04,496
So would any of these fucking guys.
734
00:36:07,416 --> 00:36:09,167
And really, it made me pause.
735
00:36:10,502 --> 00:36:12,546
And years later,
there was a song by Eminem.
736
00:36:12,629 --> 00:36:14,339
You know, you have one chance.
737
00:36:15,924 --> 00:36:18,176
Man, I was-- I was there.
738
00:36:19,428 --> 00:36:20,804
You don't force yourself to do it.
739
00:36:20,888 --> 00:36:23,265
If you force yourself,
it ain't gonna work.
740
00:36:24,057 --> 00:36:27,936
It's in you and that's it. [sighs]
741
00:36:28,020 --> 00:36:29,605
The career with Philly was over.
742
00:36:31,815 --> 00:36:34,693
They finally traded me to Tampa,
the worst team in the league.
743
00:36:34,776 --> 00:36:35,861
That didn't last long.
744
00:36:35,944 --> 00:36:38,989
Alexandre Daigle,
a top overall pick five years ago,
745
00:36:39,072 --> 00:36:42,659
traded to the Rangers from Tampa
for future considerations.
746
00:36:43,285 --> 00:36:46,330
He came in and actually played very,
very well for us.
747
00:36:46,413 --> 00:36:49,541
I'll never forget a play where he was
going up the ice through traffic,
748
00:36:49,625 --> 00:36:51,209
and somebody made a terrible pass.
749
00:36:51,293 --> 00:36:53,086
Just caught it with his hand,
threw it around,
750
00:36:53,170 --> 00:36:54,796
put it back on his stick,
went in and scored.
751
00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:59,009
[announcer] Daigle shoots, he scores!
Alexandre Daigle!
752
00:36:59,092 --> 00:37:02,137
That was a nice goal.
Bad pass, though. Geez.
753
00:37:02,638 --> 00:37:04,056
MacLean, the fuck?
754
00:37:04,139 --> 00:37:07,142
[Brisson] He would do things on the ice
where you would just see a glimpse. Wow.
755
00:37:07,225 --> 00:37:09,144
Like, there's only a few people
I've ever seen
756
00:37:09,227 --> 00:37:10,646
who could do what he just did.
757
00:37:10,729 --> 00:37:14,191
[Smith] But when he didn't do that, uh,
he was a very frustrating player.
758
00:37:14,274 --> 00:37:17,986
[Mailloux] I think he had enough then.
He was physically and mentally exhausted.
759
00:37:18,070 --> 00:37:20,572
The Rangers are fighting
for their playoff lives.
760
00:37:20,656 --> 00:37:22,240
There's fear in their locker room,
761
00:37:22,324 --> 00:37:25,953
and their fearless leader, head coach
John Muckler, says that's okay.
762
00:37:26,036 --> 00:37:28,413
[Alex] John Muckler come in for a meeting.
763
00:37:28,497 --> 00:37:31,124
He went through the room
to the superstars.
764
00:37:31,208 --> 00:37:33,377
What does it mean to make the playoff?
765
00:37:33,460 --> 00:37:35,545
We expect you to get more emotion.
766
00:37:35,629 --> 00:37:36,755
[Alex] Most of the guys was like,
767
00:37:36,838 --> 00:37:38,924
playoff in New York, the fans,
and this and that.
768
00:37:39,007 --> 00:37:43,053
And out of the blue, Muckler asked me,
"Daigle, what is it for you?"
769
00:37:43,136 --> 00:37:47,349
I'm sitting in the back, just--
You can barely see me.
770
00:37:48,100 --> 00:37:52,062
And I-I spurt out-- I said, "Uh, well,
it might mean a new contract." [chuckles]
771
00:37:52,145 --> 00:37:53,271
"Wrong answer."
772
00:37:53,939 --> 00:37:57,609
Well, I said, "John,
with all due respect, if you look at it,
773
00:37:57,693 --> 00:38:00,070
if we don't make the playoff,
we're all gonna be gone."
774
00:38:00,696 --> 00:38:03,699
"Still the wrong answer." [chuckles]
And he left the room.
775
00:38:03,782 --> 00:38:05,033
[reporter]
What's the problem with Daigle?
776
00:38:05,117 --> 00:38:08,328
Uh… [sighs] …I didn't think he was playing
well. That's all I wanna say about it.
777
00:38:08,412 --> 00:38:13,250
That was my last game. I never
played again for the Rangers. [chuckles]
778
00:38:14,126 --> 00:38:17,879
I was 25. I didn't have any commitment.
I didn't have any offers.
779
00:38:17,963 --> 00:38:21,133
Really wanna do stuff differently
and my way, and--
780
00:38:21,216 --> 00:38:23,635
But I was not missing
any of the hockey stuff.
781
00:38:23,719 --> 00:38:28,390
And I was like, "Hey, man, that's a sign.
[chuckles] Let's take a break."
782
00:38:41,570 --> 00:38:45,657
I think life goes up and down,
and there's a lot of curves out there,
783
00:38:45,741 --> 00:38:47,242
and there's no blueprint.
784
00:38:48,785 --> 00:38:51,163
How you deal with it,
yeah, it could be darkness,
785
00:38:51,246 --> 00:38:55,083
but it's better darkness before down
than down in darkness. [chuckles]
786
00:38:57,919 --> 00:38:59,963
You know, the way I am,
is I live in the moment.
787
00:39:00,547 --> 00:39:03,258
All right, we're traveling to Boston.
Get the bus. Get to the rink.
788
00:39:03,341 --> 00:39:05,177
Skates. Brand new skates. Okay, great.
789
00:39:05,260 --> 00:39:08,221
You don't see the big picture
from the outside.
790
00:39:11,266 --> 00:39:12,267
What's dear to my heart is,
791
00:39:12,350 --> 00:39:14,603
people don't believe
that I was loving the game.
792
00:39:14,686 --> 00:39:17,856
But no, I love the game.
Played for so many years,
793
00:39:17,939 --> 00:39:21,610
and I had a great time and great memories.
And it shaped my life.
794
00:39:21,693 --> 00:39:24,696
And I arrived at a point
I was just growing up. [chuckles]
795
00:39:24,780 --> 00:39:30,243
Just, you know, uh, doing stuff
that kids were doing. Never did.
796
00:39:31,536 --> 00:39:34,873
For me, it was more,
"Okay, let's travel, let's have fun.
797
00:39:34,956 --> 00:39:37,459
Let's, uh, not have a care in the world."
798
00:39:42,589 --> 00:39:44,466
At the beginning, it's super fun.
But after that,
799
00:39:44,549 --> 00:39:46,843
you're looking around, you know,
"What am I doing?"
800
00:39:48,303 --> 00:39:52,891
I started playing in a bar league in LA
and it was super competitive.
801
00:39:52,974 --> 00:39:55,393
That's where that process of missing it
802
00:39:55,477 --> 00:39:58,188
and having a direction in your life
comes in.
803
00:39:59,106 --> 00:40:00,816
When you're trapped in it,
you don't see it.
804
00:40:00,899 --> 00:40:03,235
You don't see how great you have it or,
you know,
805
00:40:03,318 --> 00:40:07,155
what type of--
of fulfillment you get doing it.
806
00:40:07,239 --> 00:40:10,992
Michael! Yeah! [chuckles] Oh!
807
00:40:12,410 --> 00:40:16,915
Sometimes, it's-- it's your job,
so you feel like it's-- you're trapped,
808
00:40:16,998 --> 00:40:19,292
but it's an amazing thing to do.
809
00:40:20,919 --> 00:40:24,589
Actually, we were sitting together
at one of those games for fun,
810
00:40:24,673 --> 00:40:26,258
and-- on the bench.
811
00:40:26,341 --> 00:40:28,760
He said, I wanna talk to you
in the locker room after the game.
812
00:40:28,844 --> 00:40:29,845
I said, "Yeah."
813
00:40:29,928 --> 00:40:31,513
So we sit together,
he says, "You know what?"
814
00:40:31,596 --> 00:40:33,181
He says, "I wanna make a comeback."
815
00:40:33,265 --> 00:40:36,852
And I look at him, "You serious, Daigle?"
He says, "No, I am."
816
00:40:39,604 --> 00:40:42,399
Mario Lemieux was here, actually,
working out.
817
00:40:42,482 --> 00:40:45,110
Alex mentioned
that he wanted to come back,
818
00:40:45,193 --> 00:40:47,320
and they gave him a tryout.
819
00:40:47,404 --> 00:40:49,197
[Alex] I have a lot of confidence
in myself.
820
00:40:49,281 --> 00:40:52,868
So I knew, if I get the opportunity,
I'm gonna do well.
821
00:40:52,951 --> 00:40:54,161
And yeah, I never blinked.
822
00:40:54,244 --> 00:40:55,871
[Brisson] He was very determined.
823
00:40:55,954 --> 00:40:58,081
And when Alex
puts his mind into something,
824
00:40:58,165 --> 00:41:00,667
and he's very stubborn,
and he's focused and-- He made the team.
825
00:41:00,750 --> 00:41:02,419
[Alex] I wanna play. I wanna have fun.
I wanna enjoy it.
826
00:41:02,502 --> 00:41:05,338
It's a great game. It's a great life.
And I made the best out of it.
827
00:41:05,422 --> 00:41:08,008
I got sent down,
but it was a good thing for me.
828
00:41:08,091 --> 00:41:09,217
I got my legs back.
829
00:41:09,301 --> 00:41:12,304
[announcer] Daigle is a shorthanded
master. Look at him fly out there.
830
00:41:12,387 --> 00:41:13,430
[Alex] I had fun.
831
00:41:13,513 --> 00:41:16,016
[announcer]
Daigle winds up, fires and scores!
832
00:41:16,099 --> 00:41:19,060
A rocket blast from Alexandre Daigle.
833
00:41:19,644 --> 00:41:22,189
[Alex] The next year,
Jacques was willing to give me a chance,
834
00:41:22,272 --> 00:41:24,357
and I went to training camp
without a contract again,
835
00:41:24,441 --> 00:41:26,776
and I had my best season ever.
836
00:41:26,860 --> 00:41:28,653
[announcer]
He makes the play. He ties the game.
837
00:41:28,737 --> 00:41:30,780
-[crowd cheering]
-[announcer] Alex Daigle!
838
00:41:30,864 --> 00:41:33,867
[reporter] Got 18 goals on the year.
Forget how many goals he's scored.
839
00:41:33,950 --> 00:41:36,411
Alexandre Daigle
has his passion for the game.
840
00:41:36,494 --> 00:41:39,539
[Berra] The second time around,
he was just a little bit more,
841
00:41:39,623 --> 00:41:43,210
you know, this is who I am,
and if you don't like it, too bad.
842
00:41:43,293 --> 00:41:46,671
[Alex] I didn't feel like it was
a make or break if I played well or not.
843
00:41:46,755 --> 00:41:49,758
I was just part of the team,
and it was, "Okay, you do your stuff."
844
00:41:49,841 --> 00:41:50,884
Great job by Daigle.
845
00:41:50,967 --> 00:41:54,429
Watching him grow as a player and as a man
really makes you proud of him.
846
00:41:54,512 --> 00:41:55,513
And guess what?
847
00:41:55,597 --> 00:41:57,766
While you were calling that first period,
he scored his 19th.
848
00:41:57,849 --> 00:42:00,727
[announcer] Daigle 27 seconds in.
849
00:42:00,810 --> 00:42:03,355
-It's a break out of the box. He scores.
-[crowd cheering]
850
00:42:03,438 --> 00:42:05,941
[commentator]
Picks up his 20th goal of the season.
851
00:42:06,024 --> 00:42:07,943
[Brisson] So, immediately,
when he had that great season--
852
00:42:08,026 --> 00:42:09,819
he had the 20 goals,
he had an amazing year--
853
00:42:09,903 --> 00:42:13,782
we're looking forward to an extension
and another, you know,
854
00:42:13,865 --> 00:42:15,408
continuity of this whole thing.
855
00:42:15,492 --> 00:42:18,536
And then there's a full lockout,
and we missed out on a full year.
856
00:42:19,788 --> 00:42:21,081
I got approached to go to Europe,
857
00:42:21,164 --> 00:42:24,960
and, uh, my girlfriend at the time,
that became my wife,
858
00:42:25,043 --> 00:42:28,838
it was a no-brainer.
Yeah, let's try this. It seems awesome.
859
00:42:28,922 --> 00:42:30,215
No clue what I was getting into.
860
00:42:30,298 --> 00:42:32,467
The only thing I knew was
I had a contract for two years,
861
00:42:32,550 --> 00:42:33,551
and I'm going to Switzerland.
862
00:42:37,931 --> 00:42:42,560
[Berra] I remember him driving me out in
this snowstorm to go to this restaurant.
863
00:42:42,644 --> 00:42:44,646
We had, like, three feet of snow
the night before.
864
00:42:44,729 --> 00:42:48,149
And, like, you're driving on this road
that has a wall of ice on both sides,
865
00:42:48,233 --> 00:42:53,571
and we're in a-a club-issued hatchback,
fishtailing all over the place.
866
00:42:53,655 --> 00:42:55,448
And there was no seat belt. Super nervous.
867
00:42:55,532 --> 00:42:58,451
And Alex is just in the front seat,
just super chill,
868
00:42:58,535 --> 00:43:01,579
one hand on the steering wheel,
completely relaxed.
869
00:43:01,663 --> 00:43:04,332
And I just remember thinking,
"Well, if that's not, you know,
870
00:43:04,416 --> 00:43:06,251
indicative of where he is in his life
871
00:43:06,334 --> 00:43:09,337
as opposed to where he was
five years ago, ten years ago,
872
00:43:09,421 --> 00:43:10,755
I don't know what is."
873
00:43:10,839 --> 00:43:14,217
He just was so much more
comfortable over there.
874
00:43:16,928 --> 00:43:18,263
[Alex] It's a different life.
875
00:43:18,763 --> 00:43:22,434
And it's a different way
to approach hockey that I really loved.
876
00:43:22,517 --> 00:43:24,978
[Berra] Playing in the National Hockey
League, traveling all the time,
877
00:43:25,061 --> 00:43:29,566
if you don't have a certain mentality,
that is really going to wear on you.
878
00:43:29,649 --> 00:43:32,944
And the Swiss League was, like,
the polar opposite to that.
879
00:43:36,448 --> 00:43:41,202
You walk down… [chuckles] …and just play
your game and go back home.
880
00:43:41,286 --> 00:43:42,704
It was-- Like, it's not--
881
00:43:42,787 --> 00:43:45,457
There's not a big process involved
into the game.
882
00:43:45,540 --> 00:43:47,125
I'm so happy I did it.
883
00:43:47,208 --> 00:43:50,837
And we started a family, just amazing.
Couldn't ask for more there.
884
00:43:51,880 --> 00:43:54,341
[Berra] I remember walking into that arena
the first night.
885
00:43:54,424 --> 00:43:57,385
The first time he touches the puck,
he gets the puck, and bam! He's gone.
886
00:43:57,469 --> 00:44:01,056
I got respected right away.
And I had a good ride from then on.
887
00:44:01,139 --> 00:44:03,808
[announcer 1, in German]
Daigle gets the pass and scores!
888
00:44:03,892 --> 00:44:06,519
[announcer 2]
Daigle is the team's top scorer.
889
00:44:06,603 --> 00:44:09,272
[Alex, in English] We won
two championships. It was just amazing.
890
00:44:10,273 --> 00:44:12,692
[announcer 1 speaking German]
891
00:44:14,277 --> 00:44:17,072
[Berra] So, my ESPN magazine story,
the headline ends up being
892
00:44:17,155 --> 00:44:19,157
"It's a Long Road From Great to Grateful."
893
00:44:21,159 --> 00:44:26,164
I think Alex got to a point where
he was able to look at his life and say,
894
00:44:26,247 --> 00:44:29,584
"It may not be exactly
what everyone else wanted it to be,
895
00:44:29,667 --> 00:44:31,711
but it was still pretty darn good."
896
00:44:35,507 --> 00:44:36,800
Pregame.
897
00:44:36,883 --> 00:44:37,884
Huh?
898
00:44:38,885 --> 00:44:41,096
Now I'm coaching. I'm coaching my son,
899
00:44:41,179 --> 00:44:43,056
and reminds me of the time
I was doing it with my dad.
900
00:44:43,139 --> 00:44:45,683
And my dad was talking to me about life,
about the game.
901
00:44:45,767 --> 00:44:50,105
And always in a positive tone.
And always looking bright to the future.
902
00:44:50,188 --> 00:44:54,692
If I could teach that lesson to my kids,
everything will be worth it.
903
00:44:54,776 --> 00:44:55,902
Vince?
904
00:44:55,985 --> 00:44:58,071
-[Vince speaking French]
-[speaking French]
905
00:44:58,154 --> 00:45:01,449
It's hockey,
it's soccer practice and a school play.
906
00:45:01,533 --> 00:45:03,284
This is what it-- it's all about.
907
00:45:05,703 --> 00:45:06,955
Go, go, go, go!
908
00:45:07,705 --> 00:45:08,706
It's a good life.
909
00:45:14,421 --> 00:45:16,047
[in French] I'm very proud.
910
00:45:17,507 --> 00:45:24,305
I followed his career
from mini mites to the NHL.
911
00:45:25,557 --> 00:45:28,476
It always went well.
912
00:45:28,560 --> 00:45:30,603
Could it have been better?
913
00:45:30,687 --> 00:45:32,730
Could it have been worse?
914
00:45:32,814 --> 00:45:34,732
But, in general, it was great.
915
00:45:34,816 --> 00:45:37,902
And as a father, I think he's… perfect,
maybe better than me.
916
00:45:37,986 --> 00:45:39,571
[both laughing]
917
00:45:39,654 --> 00:45:40,947
-Yes!
-[chuckles]
918
00:45:41,030 --> 00:45:43,032
[both chuckle, speak French]
919
00:45:43,116 --> 00:45:45,869
[speaking French, chuckles]
920
00:45:52,500 --> 00:45:53,793
[in English]
Yeah, no, I really enjoyed it.
921
00:45:53,877 --> 00:45:56,921
Uh, I gotta admit, I--
There's a lot of-- A lot more--
922
00:45:57,005 --> 00:46:00,049
Way more positive out of this
than I thought.
923
00:46:00,133 --> 00:46:03,344
And I look at it, I'm saying,
"Geez. Uh, it's not that bad."
924
00:46:03,428 --> 00:46:06,473
Uh, and that wasn't--
That was not the view I had.
925
00:46:06,556 --> 00:46:11,769
So, thank you, but, uh,
I have to go, my friend. [chuckles]
926
00:46:11,853 --> 00:46:14,689
I loved it. Send me the tape. [sighs]
927
00:46:28,703 --> 00:46:32,207
-[announcer] Alexandre Daigle!
-[crowd cheering]
928
00:46:38,755 --> 00:46:44,260
[in French] This is a moment
I will remember all my life.
929
00:46:44,344 --> 00:46:48,223
Wherever I go,
this will always be my home.
930
00:46:48,306 --> 00:46:50,308
[crowd cheering]
78287
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